Chocolate in the 1800s: A Century of Sweet Changes

The 1800s marked a turning point in chocolate history. From the invention of advanced machinery to the rise of industrial production, chocolate transitioned from a rare treat that was enjoyed by royalty to a beloved treat for all. Innovations during this era paved the way for the chocolate we know and love today.

1819

England’s first chocolate house was established by a Frenchman. At the time, chocolate was a luxury item, costing 6 to 8 shillings per pound, affordable only to the rich.

1822

John Cadbury, a Quaker who tried to convince people that drinking chocolate was much healthier than alcohol, opens a tea and coffee shop in Birmingham, England.

1828

Coenraad Van Houten, a Dutch chocolate maker, invents a hydraulic press that is used to make cacao powder.

1832

Francois-Louis Cailler opens a large plant in Corsier, Switzerland.

1840

Cailler opens a second chocolate factory in Vevey, Switzerland. Twenty years later this factory is sold to Julien and Daniel Peter who invent milk chocolate.

1847

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.

1860

John Cadbury joins with his brother Benjamin to form the Cadbury Brothers of Birmingham. A year later the business goes to John's sons, Richard and George.

1861

Richard Cadbury creates the heart-shaped candy box for Valentine's Day.

1862

Painting "La Belle Chocolatiere" first used.

The Baker's Chocolate Company obtains the rights to use the painting La Belle Chocolatiere, by the Swiss artist Jean-étienne Liotard. The painting shows the wife of Prince Dietrichstein as a maid serving chocolate. This was how she was dressed when the prince first mets her. Baker's Chocolate Company will use this same painting as their company trademark. This is one of the oldest product trademarks in the United States.

1864

Jean Tobler begins production of handmade confections in Bern, Switzerland.

1872

Baker's Chocolate Company begins to use the chocolate girl painting as the company trademark.

1875

Daniel Peter figures out how to combine milk and cocoa power to create milk chocolate.

1879

Rodolphe Lindt invents the conch.

The conch is a machine that stirs liquid chocolate to break down any remaining clumps. This machines makes the chocolate smooth for the first time. Lindt calls this chocolate fondant and labels his candy bars Lindt Surfin.

1890

Henri Nestlé dies in Montreux, Switzerland. He was the founder of the Nestlé Company.

1893

Milton Hershey buys chocolate equipment.

Milton Hershey goes to the World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago. He watches a demonstration of German-made chocolate equipment. He likes the this so much that he buys it immediately. He ships the equipment to his Carmel factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

1894

Otto J. Scholenleber starts the Ambrosia Chocolate Company.

Otto J. Scholenleber starts the Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later he switches to making bulk chocolate for large companies such as Hostess, Pillsbury, and Nabisco.

1896

Leo Hirschfield makes the first Tootsie Roll. He names it after his daughter.

1897

Chocoate grows in popularity.

People in England ate a record 36 million pounds of chocolate. Europeans ate 100 millions pounds and the people from the United States ate 26 million pounds of chocolate.

1899

Lindt & Sprüngli begin a partnership.

Rodolphe Lindt sold his secret formula for making fondant chocolate to David Sprüngli for 1.5 million Swiss francs. He forms a new partnership and the company becomes Lindt & Sprüngli.

1899

Jean Tobler begins a chocolate company in Bern.

Explore more parts of the timeline.

Use this free scavenger hunt to make exploring the timeline fun and educational for your students. This activity invites them to create their own mini-timelines by identifying specific dates and details from these pages. Download the free printable here to get started.

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