America's Dusty Files - June 25, 1630 - Table Fork Introduced To American Dining By John...

On June 25, 1630, the fork was introduced to American dining by Governor Winthrop. From the article:

"June 25, 1630 - Table Fork Introduced To American Dining By John Winthrop
Governor John Winthrop turned many heads with his use of a “split spoon” as he sat at his meal. During this time, Winthrop likely owned the only fork in North America as the clergy considered split spoons evil. Opposed to the use of the new eating utensil they considered that the only thing worthy of touching "God's food" were fingers. Many considered them effeminate since Thomas Coryate introduced them to England.
Thomas Coryate (c. 1577 – 1617)
Thomas Coryate was an English traveler whose writings became popular in late Elizabethan England. As a young man, he served as a court jester for Prince Henry, the oldest son of King James I. In 1608, Coryate left for a tour of Europe. During this journey, he traveled through France, Italy, Venice, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Many feel it was this trip that fostered the tradition of the Grand Tour that many young men of the upper classes took later on. He walked during almost half of this trip and returned to England in October 1608. It was in Italy that he saw people using the table fork, so he brought some home to England. His attempts to introduce it brought him mockery and the name “Furcifer." They called him the "fork bearer," a name meant to ridicule him.
1600's Etiquette
During this time, people used their fingers and knives to eat. They used spoons for soups and stews, but these were mostly wooden spoons. Hosts did not provide cutlery for their guests. Male guests brought their own sheathed knives to a meal. Etiquette called for them to cut their food with their own knife. Since ladies did not carry knives, the men would cut their food for them. Diners would then eat with their fingers or spear it with the knife. Cutlery makers began making table knives and the use of personal knives declined. France and Italy were the first to begin using forks, though their use was slow to catch on. As it did, knives were no longer necessary to spear food and cutlery makers started making knives with blunt tips. These proved useless to the English to spear food, so they began using their spoons to hold the food on the new blunted knives. The fork seemed a reasonable alternative, and slowly gained in popularity.
Still a Novelty
In 1630 when John Winthrop first used his fork, or split spoon as people first called them, many still considered them a novelty. Many felt they were the work of the devil. But their use spread and now is a part of the everyday dining experience."