Edith Hern Fossett, an enslaved cook

1787-1854
Overview

Edith Hern was born in 1787. Her father was David Hern, a carpenter. Her mother was Isabel, a housemaid and farm worker. Both were slaves. Edith married Joseph Fossett, and they had ten children.When Thomas Jefferson was president, he picked Edith to train to be a cook in the White House. For almost seven years,…

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