Wild strawberries were one of the tasty items awaiting American colonists when they crossed the Atlantic. The berries got put into jelly, syrup, and sweetened drinks, but it didn't take very long for people to figure out that they could combine the berries with the already-popular shortcake recipe to get something special. Crumbly shortcake/biscuits had been served since the very beginning of America, and despite a warning in an 1835 book claiming shortcakes were unhealthy, their popularity did not wane.
Strawberry shortcakes were a luxury, but humbler recipes for it began to pop up around the Civil War. Barely a handful of years later, it was already considered an American institution, helped along by the ability to ship the berries by rail. It's easy to see why they caught on so forcefully. Strawberry shortcake is extremely tasty, and simpler to prepare than a lot of other cakes.
As my delightful assistant hulled the berries and tossed them with sugar, I pulled together the dough. From there, it was a simple matter of cut, bake, and stack, with some homemade whipped cream on top for added effect. It's a perfect little summer dessert.
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