A History of Chocolate in America 1

A History of Chocolate in America

Rebekah Lane
Culinary Institute of Virginia

A History of Chocolate in America 2

A History of Chocolate in America
Candy in the American media is certainly a very broad subject. From board games like
Candy Land, to stories of sugary delight in the form of books and movies, chocolates and other
decadents have been the spotlight of many films and television shows. Aside from the obvious,
that chocolate is delicious, what made so many people decide to put so much time and effort into
just one sweet treat: chocolate.
Americans have been making chocolate for a long time. In the early 18
th
century, Dr.
James Baker, and John Hannon, opened Americas first chocolate factory, making Bakers
Chocolate the first chocolate made in America. His chocolate bars were used mainly for making
hot chocolate, which soon after became a patriotic symbol when taxes were levied via the
Townshend Act of 1767. It was popular among the upper-class to serve it in expensive dishes
that were often stolen, along with finished chocolate.
During the following years, companies like Ghirardelli, and of course, Hershey, began
their own methods of using chocolate as a form of profit, creating even more popularity for the
confection. In 1849, Domingo Ghirardelli sold his chocolate to miners in California, after failing
to be a successful miner himself. The worlds largest chocolate factory was started in 1893,
shortly after Mr. Milton Hershey decided to purchase equipment that would allow him to coat
caramel with chocolate. This led to a more affordable chocolate confection that paved the way to
an even higher increase in chocolate popularity. In 1911, Frank Mars was selling candy from his
kitchen in Tacoma, Washington, that led to the eventual creation and founding of the Mars
Company. The popularity of baking with chocolate came about at the turn of the 20
th
century,
when Alice Bradley released the first ever cookbook to contain a whole chapter of recipes that
used chocolate.
A History of Chocolate in America 3

As for the introduction of chocolate into the media, M &Ms lovable chocolate characters
were introduced in 1954, and are now globally recognized symbol for the beloved candy. In
1964, Roald Dahl created one of the most beloved, if not wacky, characters in chocolate history,
Mr. Willy Wonka. The book Mr. Dahl wrote would go on to become more than one major
motion picture, the first of which was released in 1971 and featured the imaginative interior of
the ever-elusive and flavor-filled world inside Willy Wonkas factory. The story and film were
even inspirations for a real candy company, owned by Nestle.
When it comes to children, dreams of chocolate rivers arent just part of a movie, theyre
also part of colorful board and computer games that include chocolate and other candy items.
Candy Land, an imaginative board game that takes place in a world made of sweets, was
invented in 1945 by Eleanor Abbott while recovering from Polio. The oldest manufacturer of
board games, Milton Bradley, published the game in 1949 where it went on to lead the charts as
Americas most popular toy for the decade. More recently, games for smartphones have been
created to entice the attention of children and adults alike. In March of 2005, Candy Crush Saga
was released on Royalgames.com, though it didnt become the mobile sensation it is now until
late 2011. The bright colors and sugary references are just another example of how chocolate and
candy are a popularity in America.
There are many other products that have been based around or entirely on chocolate, such
as cereals, milk flavors, syrups, and even toys. As a beloved American tradition, chocolate will
never lose the popularity and focus that has been built around it since this country was founded.
It is definitely one of the sweetest pieces of history our country will ever know.
A History of Chocolate in America 4

References
Americans. (n.d.) Retrieved August 13, 2014 from National Confectioners Associations
Chocolate Council Website:
http://thestoryofchocolate.com/Who/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3447&navItemNumber=3374
Ghirardellis Heritage. (2014) Retrieved August 13, 2014 from Ghirardelli Chocolate
Website: http://www.ghirardelli.com/about-ghirardelli/ghirardellis-heritage-160-years
About Mars: Mars History. (2014) Retrieved August 13, 2014 from Mars, Incorporated
Website: http://www.mars.com/global/about-mars/history.aspx
Mars Chocolate: M & Ms. (2014) Retrieved August 13, 2014 from Mars, Incorporated
Website: http://www.mars.com/global/brands/chocolate.aspx#
Willy Wonka. (2000-2014) Retrieved August 13, 2014 from Infoplease.com:
http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/willywonka.html
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) IMDb. (1990-2014) Retrieved August
13, 2014 from IMDb.com, Inc. Website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/
Wonka. (2014) Retrieved August 13, 2014 from Nestle Global:
http://www.nestle.com/brands/allbrands/wonka
Ariana Cherry-Shearer. Walking Down Candy Land Lane: The History of the Popular
Childrens Game. (July 18, 2013) Retrieved August 14, 2014 from & Bubblews:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/827682-walking-down-candy-land-lane-the-history-of-the-
popular-children039s-game
Milton Bradley Company History: International Directory of Company Histories, Vol.
21. (1998) Retrieved August 14, 2014 from FundingUniverse:
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/milton-bradley-company-history/
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References (Continued)
Our History. (2014) Retrieved August 14, 2014 from King.com Ltd.:
http://company.king.com/about-us/our-history/