The History of Commercial Chewing Gum
Archaeologists believe that humans have been chewing gum for at least 9,000 years, but chewing gum has only been available in a commercial form since the 1860s. Does this Spark an idea?
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Early American Gums
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Early European settlers in New England noticed native tribes chewing the resin which formed on cut spruce trees. Lumps of this gum-like substance were for sale in the eastern United States in the early 1800s, making it the nation's first commercially available chewing gum. In the 1850s, sweetened paraffin wax also became popular as a kind of gum.
Mexican Influence
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The commercial chewing gum available today owes its existence to Mexican General Santa Anna, who brought a consignment of "chicle," a latex-like material derived from trees, with him to New York in the 1860s. Here he met photographer and aspiring inventor, Thomas Adams, who had the idea to turn the "chicle" into chewing gum.
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Thomas Adams
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Adam's "chicle"-based gum was tasteless but popular. He called it "Adams New York No. 1: Snapping and Stretching," and sold it from his shop in New Jersey. Later, Adams also came up with the idea of a vending machine to sell the gum.
Flavored Gums
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Adams experimented with adding flavors to the tasteless gum. The first to be made widely available included shreds of licorice and was called "Black Jack." Towards the end of the 19th century, other manufacturers, such as William Wrigley Junior, created a variety of flavors including fruit and mint.
Celebrity Endorsement
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During the 1920s and 1930s, chewing gum enjoyed "iconic" status, according to Michael R. Redclift, Ph.D. It became associated with the glamour of movies, sports stars and popular music.
World War II
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Chewing gum became part of the standard ration pack issued to American combat troops during World War II, which helped make it popular across the world.
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References
- Photo Credit boy with gum image by Marzanna Syncerz from Fotolia.com
