Lobster Was Considered Poor People's Food in Colonial America
Lobsters were so abundant in colonial New England that they were fed to prisoners, slaves, and used as fertilizer. Laws limited feeding lobster to prisoners more than 3 times per week.
About this fact
In 17th and 18th century America, lobsters were so plentiful they would wash up on beaches in piles 2 feet high. They were considered the 'cockroaches of the sea' and were primarily used as fertilizer, fish bait, or food for the poor. Indentured servants had clauses in their contracts stipulating they wouldn't be fed lobster more than three times per week - it was considered cruel and unusual punishment. The Massachusetts Bay Colony even passed laws prohibiting feeding lobsters to prisoners more than three times weekly. Lobster's transformation into a luxury food began in the mid-1800s with improved transportation and clever marketing that rebranded it as an exotic delicacy for wealthy tourists.