Thanksgiving & the Law

One of the library staff’s favorite holiday pastimes is finding the nexus between law and the holidays. While there are several ways that Thanksgiving is related to law, the one we are choosing to highlight this year is the invention of cranberry sauce.

Americans purchase over 5 MILLION gallons of cranberry sauce every holiday season. While this side dish is considered a staple at Thanksgiving, it wasn’t invented in its current canned form until 1912…by a lawyer. Marcus L. Urann quit his career as a lawyer to purchase a cranberry bog and the rest is history! (He also founded the company we now call Ocean Spray!)

Cranberries are one of the only commercially grown fruits native to the United States. There were some problems with this American fruit, though. They had a very short season when eaten fresh and they were susceptible to being ugly and damaged from harvesting because “the modern method of mechanical harvesting can often damage the delicate, tart berries, leaving them too imperfect to sell.” The solution was to turn the smushed fruit into a jelly-like consistency and sell them in cans. This allowed the bruised fruit to pass muster and extended the selling season! While a lawyer may have invented the can-shaped log that is cranberry sauce, it is marketing that seems to have made it a staple!

Happy Thanksgiving! May your long weekend be restful and filled with gratitude. If you want to try making your own cranberry sauce this season, check out this recipe from Bon Appetit!