It became unpatriotic to drink tea around the time of the Boston Tea Party, so chocolate became a popular alternative in the colonies. Since chocolate was much less expensive than in Britain, where imported cocoa was highly taxed, it quickly permeated all walks of life. For instance, chocolate was a military ration during the American Revolutionary War, was drunk as a medicine during the Lewis and Clark Expedition and on the western overland trails by California Gold Rush miners, and was a common food desired by soldiers and civilians alike during the period of the American Civil War.

Jim Gay