Before the Civil War, making maple sugar was a lucrative business for Native Americans in Michigan. In 1847, federal records show that tribal people in Michigan created more than one million pounds of maple sugar. Some of this production was driven by abolitionists. Because cane sugar was made by enslaved workers, many abolitionists would not buy it. Instead, they relied on maple sugar.
Native American Food Ways
Food Moons
Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar
