Pokeweed Myths and Misconceptions Explained One myth that is commonly spread around is the pokeweed ink was used to write the declaration of independence. This is NOT true. I interviewed pokeweed researcher Dr. Carin Baskett who researched this topic extensively and she said that it’s just a legend. So definitely don’t spread this rumor around. The Declaration of Independence is thought in pokeweed ink and were. There simply no guidelines directing the safe state of pokeweed or pokeweed remedies in humans. And poke berries would like? Catch great Story Bug! Please be interested in ink berries before serving. Sadly, the latter is a tall tale: The Declaration of Independence was penned in iron gall ink, which does not fade as quickly as poke berry ink [8] [10] [11]. In the United States’ presidential campaign of 1844, James Polk and his supporters wore the unmistakable stems and leaves of the pokeweed. Some sources claim that pokeweed ink was used to write for the Declaration of Independence, but according to the National Archives, it was actually written with iron gall ink." But making the ink proved to be fortuitous, as recently my son was given a Social Studies research project at school — of all the colonies, he ended up with Pennsylvania, the state in which both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written. The rumors around the Internet were that these documents were written in Pokeweed Ink. Soon he had the information: it was a pokeweed, a significant plant in United States history. The Declaration of Independence was written with the fermented juice of the berries of this plant. Further, Civil War soldiers wrote letters home using this available ink. The plant is more common in the south and east than here in the northwest. The Declaration of Independence was reportedly written in fermented Pokeberry Ink. Freshly made Pokeberry ink has the loud purple color of the raw crushed berry juice, but fades to a non-descript brown with age. Pokeweed in History and Folklore The United States Declaration of Independence was written in fermented pokeberry juice. European settlers were introduced to pokeweed by Native Americans. They liked it so much they took it back to Europe where it grows wild today. Native Americans used pokeweed for food, medicine, dye and to paint their horses. study of plant use for well-being (food and medicinal uses) by enslaved Africans at Kings Bay Plantation in Georgia in the 18th century found that 75% of the 20,000 seeds recovered from privy pits (a source of information on consumed plants) were of pokeweed. It is rumored that the berries from Phytolacca americana were used to make the ink that the Declaration of Independence was signed with. In reality, that important document was created with iron gall ink. Then she off-handedly mentioned that supposedly the ink used to pen the Declaration of Independence was derived from the deeply hued berries of the pokeweed plant, giving rise to its other common name, inkberry. According to multiple sources, fermented pokeweed ink was used to write the Declaration of Independence, as well as letters during the Civil War. (Edit: Thanks to Dana R., who contacted the National Archives and found out that the Declaration and the Constitution were written in iron gall ink — this means another ink-creating experience Many know that the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written in Pokeberry ink, but unfortunately much of the rich ethnobotanical history of Poke has been forgotten as it has become shrouded in misinformation. ~ The ink used to write the Declaration of Independence and letters home written during the Civil War was made from the fermented juice of pokeweed. ~ Native American Indians used its juices as a dye to decorate horses, dye cloth, and as a face paint. According to multiple sources, fermented pokeweed ink was used to write the Declaration of Independence, as well as letters during the Civil War. (Edit: Thanks to Dana R., who contacted the National Archives and found out that the Declaration and the Constitution were written in iron gall ink — this means another ink-creating experience The poisonous red berries can be used to provide ink for writing - legend has it that the Declaration of Independence may have been drafted in pokeweed ink, although the final version that sits in the National Archives was done in iron-gall ink. During the Revolutionary War era, various types of ink were used for hand-written documents. Common ink sources included iron gall ink, which was widely used for formal documents like the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Other sources included pokeberry ink, carbon black ink, and even tea-based ink. These inks were employed for drafting, note-taking, and official documents According to multiple sources, fermented pokeweed ink was used to write the Declaration of Independence, as well as letters during the Civil War. (Edit: Thanks to Dana R., who contacted the National Archives and found out that the Declaration and the Constitution were written in iron gall ink — this means another ink-creating experience Some sources claim that pokeweed ink was used to write for the Declaration of Independence, but according to the National Archives, it was actually written with iron gall ink. The whole pokeweed plant is considered poisonous from root to fruit, but that hasn’t stopped people from eating it! A native of Eastern North America, the berries of pokeweed were used for ink (even on important federal documents) throughout the Colonial era. And during the Civil War, many soldiers wrote letters home using pokeberry ink.
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