Augustus Jackson (1808-1852) left his family in Philadelphia when he was twelve and went to Washington, D.C., where he worked in the White House kitchens and learned to make, and improve on, ice cream - at the time, a treat only for the wealthy and privileged. (His version was made without egg.) He left the White House and returned to Philly, where he opened an ice cream parlor, and invented the practice of adding rock salt to the ice used to make ice cream, speeding up the process. He never patented his creations, but is known as the "man who invented ice cream." Musical ditties to encourage ice cream sales are included throughout the story.

The digital paintings aren't my favorite, but I liked the story!

Recipe for "make your own ice cream," afterword, sources. ( )

- Age: Primary

- About Augustus Jackson and his road from growing up to making ice cream at the white house and further.

- This would be cool to have in the classroom as students would love to learn about the history of their favorite sweet treat.

Augustus Jackson was born in 1808 in Philadelphia. While most African Americans were enslaved at that time, in Pennsylvania, slavery was against the law. But while Augustus and his family were free, they were poor, and they depended on their garden and their chickens for food. Augustus enjoyed helping his mom prepare meals for their family. He dreamed of becoming a professional cook, and when his mom suggested he may be able to make meals for the president one day, Augustus didn’t waste any time in making that dream a reality. In 1820, when he was only twelve years old, he set off for Washington, DC. He applied to work in the White House, where the head cook offered him a job as a kitchen helper. After five years of working hard, Augustus, or Gus, was promoted to cook. He went on to serve presidents James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson. During his time at the White House, Augustus became an expert at making a popular egg-based dessert. He soon made an eggless version—known to us today as ice cream—and left the White House determined to make and sell the frozen treat to everyone, not just the wealthy.