Most baked beans are made from Navy Beans which are also known as Haricot Beans.
Canned Baked Beans are actually cooked through a steaming process and not actually baked although you may see them listed as baked beans.
Originally baked beans were sweetened with maple syrup by Native Americans, a tradition some recipes still follow, but some English colonists modified the sweetening agent to brown sugar beginning in the 17th century.
In the 18th century the convention of using American-made molasses as a sweetening agent became increasingly popular in order to avoid British taxes on sugar.
American Boston baked beans use a sauce prepared with molasses and salt pork, the popularity of which has led to the city's being nicknamed "Beantown".
Today baked beans are commonly served throughout the United States alongside barbecue food of various kinds and at picnics.
Beans in a brown sugar, sugar, or corn syrup sauce (sometimes with and sometimes without a tomato base) are widely available throughout the United States.
Bush Brothers and Company currently sells the most baked beans in the United States.
After the Revolutionary war, the Fourth of July was celebrated with picnics, fireworks, dances and dinners.
The foods served varied, changing with the customs of each region, but baked beans was one of the common dishes served for the celebrations in the Northern United States.
Some baked beans have honey added to them as well as brown sugar which gives them the flavor and also sometimes ham and pork such as pork and beans.
Homemade Baked Beans and Homemade Pork and Beans are pretty easy to make and there's videos online showing how to make baked beans.