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Maya moved to the Yucatán Peninsula. They brought with them cacao. They established large plantations to grow cacao.
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The people in Central America began using the cacao beans as money. The beans were also used to make a bitter drink. This drink was used to treat coughs and fever.
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The Aztecs demanded payment in the form of cacao beans. The Aztecs used the cocao bean for a drink. They added flowers, vanilla, and honey to their drink.
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Christopher Columbus was given his first drink of xocoatl (chocolate) on his fourth voyage to America. Although he did not like the drink he took some of the cacao beans back to his homeland as an unusual item to show the people at home.
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Hernán Cortéz also recognized the value of the cacao bean to the Aztecs. He established a cacao plantation in the name of Spain in Mexico.
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Hernán Cortéz returned to Spain with some cacao beans. Only the very rich could afford to buy the drink.
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The first commercially grown shipment of cacao beans grown in South and Central America was taken to Spain.
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Anne of Austria, a Spanish princess, marries Louis XIII of France and takes the Spanish custom of chocolate drinking to France.
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The first chocolate house is opened in England by a Frenchman. Only the rich could afford to buy chocolate at the chocolate house.
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Maria Theresa of Austria marries Louis XIV of France. She shares her love of chocolate with the people of France. For the first time people outside the royal court enjoy chocolate drinking.
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A London coffeehouse sells the first solid chocolate in a stick form.
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Charles VI moves from Madrid, Spain to Vienna. He takes chocolate with him.
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The Italians begin serving chocolate in Florence and Venice.
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Monsieur Dubuisson, creates a table for grinding chocolate. This lets the workers stand up while grinding the cacao bean. The table is heated from underneath by charcoal.
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The Baker Chocolate Company is established, This was the first time chocolate was made in the United States
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The first chocolate made by machine is produced in Barcelona, Spain.
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Coenraad Van Houten, a Dutch chocolate maker, invents a hydraulic press that is used to make cacao powder
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The first manufacturer of chocolate in England creates the first chocolate bars. Their shop is called J. S. Fry & Sons. Not many people liked this because of its bitter taste.
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Daniel Peter figures out how to combine milk and cocoa power to create milk chocolate
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Rodolphe Lindt invents the conch. This machines makes the chocolate smooth for the first time.
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Milton Hershey creates his first candy bar. He also makes baking chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate coatings for caramels.
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Milton S. Hershey introduces the Milk Chocolate Bar.
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The first Hershey Kisses are made.
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L. S. Heath & Sons, Inc. makes the first Heath Bar in Robinson, Illinois
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H. B. Reese makes the first Reese's peanut butter cup using Hershey's milk chocolate.
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Frank Mars makes the first Snickers candy bar.
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Peter Paul makes the first Almond Joy.
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Hershey Foods begins putting nutritional information on their labels.
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Chocolate goes into space on the U.S. spaceship Columbia.
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Hershey sends 144,000 of their heat-resistant candy bars to soldiers in the Gulf War, Desert Storm
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The average American consumes 12 lbs. of chocolate each year, and more than $75 billion worldwide is spent on chocolate annually.
