User:TheresaLayton/sandbox

Brief summary

Hannah Archer Till was born in Kent County, Delaware in 1721. She was sold for the first time at the age of 15 then at 25 and the last time she was sold was when she returned from England at the age of 35. While she was a slave she learned how to cook and was eventually allowed to sell the food she made. With this money she was able to buy her freedom in 1756. Hannah married Issac Till before the American Revolution War. When Issac enlisted in the Patriot Army, Hannah volunteered to cook so she could stay with her husband. Issac Till was either a whip maker or a ship maker before he joined the army. This is when George Washington noticed her dignity and decided to hire her to be his cook during the war and for years afterwards. After her work with Washington, her and her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their family grew to 9 people by the year 1780, where she had one son during the Valley Forge winter. Before she moved to Pennsylvania she also worked for Marquis de Lafayette. Hannah stayed with Lafayette for about 6 months while before that she worked for 6 and half years. Lafayette and Hannah Till kept in touch for years after she no longer worked for him. One day when Lafayette was visiting Hannah, he found out that she was struggling to pay the mortgage on her house, so he paid off her mortgage. Hannah Archer Till was 105 when died but a couple years before that she was still able to travel. Issac died in 1790 which seems like a short time compared to his wife, who was 105 when she passed away. After Hannah died in 1826, the organization Daughters of the American Revolution honored her as a patriot during the American Revolutionary War.

Family and background

Hannah Archer Till was born in Kent County of Delaware, on November 25, 1721. Her name given to her at birth was Long Point, which was given to her by her father, an Oneida Indian. Her mother’s name is not found on any records. Hannah and Issac Till had seven children. Her last child was born when she was about 45 years old. ^[1]When she and her family moved to Pennsylvania they joined the First African Presbyterian Church. When Hannah died in 1826, she was buried at that church. She became George Washington’s cook during the American Revolutionary War and that job lasted for 7 years. Her cooking skills allowed her to buy her freedom.

Women in cooking

While Hannah was a slave she was taught how to cook and bake. With these new skills she had gained, Hannah decided she was going to save her money to buy her freedom. Since she learned how to cook and bake this allowed her to stay with her husband, Issac, during the American Revolutionary War. She volunteered to cook for the soldiers at first till George Washington saw her dignity and wanted her to be her personal cook. The job to be a cook is just as important as a nurse. Many women volunteered as a nurse, cook, and maids to stay with their husbands or even to help their communities.

Legacy

Hannah was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution to be a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. Hannah was given the Daughters of the American Revolution patriot honor because it shows an example of loyal women and an unsung hero of the Revolutionary War. They did this ceremony at Hannah’s gravesite in Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania on October 3, 2015.^[2] Daughters of the American Revolution is an organization with deep rich history roots while being relevant in today’s world. The members of the Daughters of the American Revolution made a new chapter just named after Hannah Till.