Santa Anna and Chewing Gum

By Horace Gore

Most Texans know the story about Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, emperor of Mexico, and his role at The Battle of the Alamo. But there is a lot more to the general and president of Mexico than meets the eye. He was the creator of one of our favorite pastimes—chewing gum! Had it not been for Santa Anna living in exile on Staten Island, America probably never would have had chewing gum.

Chewing gum origin

Santa Anna had been a politician, and president of Mexico, more than once. In his late years he lost favor, retired from Mexican politics, and lived in exile on Staten Island, New York. During his days on Staten Island, Santa Anna asked his friends in Mexico to send him his favorite chewy rubber substance from Mexico’s sapodilla tree—chicle. Santa Anna’s secretary and interpreter gave some of the chewy material to amateur inventor Thomas Adams. The thought of making rubber from the tree sap intrigued Adams.

Santa Anna and Adams formed a company with $30,000 financed with the help of the Mexican general. But the company had no success in vulcanizing rubber from the chicle material. However, he and Adams succeeded in adding flavor and sweetness to the chicle to create a rubber-like chewing gum.

America was ready for chewing gum, and soon the chicle chewing gum was the rage. People just couldn’t get enough chewing gum, which came in several flavors and styles.

The company financed by Santa Anna, and started by him and Adams, would be the largest chewing gum company in America. However, William Wrigley, Jr. bought them out, and developed Wrigley’s “Chiclets.” They’re still sold today, along with several other forms of chewing gum.

It’s not a well known story to Americans, but may be one of the greatest contributions to our frivolous society.

Author: TOR Poobah

This article originally appears at Texas Trophy Hunters