Tomato avocados, and squashes of all kinds (such as zucchini and pumpkins) are all botanically fruit, yet cooked as vegetables. This has led to legal dispute in the United States. In 1887, U.S. tariff laws that imposed a duty on vegetables, but not on fruit, caused the tomato's status to become a matter of legal importance. The U.S. Supreme Court settled this controversy on May 10, 1893, by declaring that the tomato is a vegetable, based on the popular definition that classifies vegetables by use—they are generally served with dinner and not dessert ("Nix v. Hedden" (149 U.S. 304)). The holding
Edward L. Hedden Edward L. Hedden Edward Long Hedden (December 24, 1828 – February 6, 1893) was Collector of the Port of New York from 1885 to 1886. Hedden was born in 1828, in New York City, New York, to Josiah Hedden (who had studied law under Alexander Hamilton) and Elizabeth June Hedden. In 1855, he married Elizabeth Caroline Apgar. From 1859 to 1884, Hedden worked for the shipping firm of Wetmore, Cryer, and Co. He was also a director of the North River Bank and of the Niagara Insurance Company. Hedden was appointed Collector of the Port by Grover Cleveland on June