Venison

Deer was by far the most important game animal in colonial and early American times. It was plentiful throughout North America and was relatively easy to hunt. Because of this intensive hunting, the common deer actually became scarce in some colonies even before the American Revolution. For settlers migrating west, deer meat was a major food source, particularly while settlers built homes and prepared land for farming. By the mid-nineteenth century, venison had became rare in eastern markets, and by 1900, deer were scarce even in many western states. The twentieth century saw the virtual elimination of venison from the American diet.