Buzz
Whether you enjoy it or not, chewing gum is here to stay. When it first gained popularity in the United States, many of the more refined individuals hoped that the 'vulgar trend' would fade away. However, the chewing gum craze continued to thrive, both as a perceived 'unsightly habit' and a medicinal remedy.
10. A Salute to Mexico
The birthplace of chewing gum is Mexico. It made its way to the United States in 1866, thanks to inventor Thomas Adams. At the time, it wasn’t the chewy gum we recognize today but rather a small brown ball made of chicle.
Chicle comes from the sapodilla tree (also known as Manilkara zapota). It’s a white latex substance that the tree releases when its bark is cut. As it seeps from the tree, chicle picks up bits of bark and dirt, giving it the characteristic brown color of ‘natural gum.’
The natural gum became highly addictive for those who managed to acquire it. By 1890, large quantities of this natural latex were being imported into the United States for the production of sweet chewing gum.
9. The Invention of Modern Chewing Gum
Once Thomas Adams got his hands on the natural chewing gum, he wasted no time in experimenting to discover its potential uses. After some trials, he concluded that it was best suited simply for chewing.
With an investment of $35, Adams boiled the chicle until it became soft like dough. He then rolled it into long strips and cut the strips into square pieces. The gum was left to cool before being packed, without any flavoring added at that point. It was purely a way to keep people’s jaws engaged.
To introduce Americans to the habit of chewing gum, Adams distributed the gum to candy stores, offering it for free with candy purchases. Children immediately took to the product and began returning to candy stores the very next day, asking for more gum.
8. The Emergence of Flavored Chewing Gum
While Thomas Adams' natural chewing gum was gaining popularity, he saw a chance to expand the market even further. In 1871, he began experimenting with flavored chewing gum, starting with licorice. The result was Black Jack gum. But he didn’t stop there—he also introduced tutti-frutti flavor and pioneered the installation of the first-ever chewing gum vending machines.
Adams couldn't be stopped. He took a natural product from Mexico and turned it into a huge confectionery success, satisfying America's sweet cravings and driving parents and teachers crazy. By the close of the 1800s, other gum makers began launching their own flavors, with advertisements flooding newspapers, and the gum-making industry went wild.
7. The Bad Habit of Women
Not only did children embrace the chewing gum craze, but women also took up the habit in great numbers. To some high-society men, a woman chewing gum was as undesirable as a man chewing tobacco. It was viewed as an unsavory habit by the upper class.
In 1902, one man remarked, 'If those women must chew, let them go to the basement.' By 1903, there were even discussions about forming an anti-gum chewing society.
The backlash against women chewing gum was so intense that they were often ridiculed at every opportunity. At the very least, it was considered 'beneath the dignity' of any well-bred woman to chew gum, particularly in public places.
6. William Wrigley Jr.
In 1891, William Wrigley Jr. was focused on selling household products. He began offering free sticks of chewing gum with every purchase of baking soda. He quickly recognized how much people enjoyed the gum and decided to venture into the chewing gum industry.
Wrigley introduced a variety of gum flavors, including Sweet Sixteen Orange and his signature spearmint gum. His primary goal was to challenge the stereotype that chewing gum was only for children and women. He believed men should enjoy the habit of chewing gum too.
Wrigley was a visionary. In 1916, he offered his factory workers benefits and workers' rights, an unprecedented move at the time, especially for factory workers. By 1924, he also implemented weekends off for his employees, unlike other employers who made their workers toil six days a week to survive.
5. Chewing Gum Parties
In 1904, a new trend emerged: Young people started attending 'chewing gum parties' in major cities. To gain entry to these events, each guest had to bring a pack of chewing gum. Once inside, they would chew the gum until it became soft. Then, somewhat grossly, they would remove the gum from their mouths and use it like modeling clay.
Forget about the germs! It’s said that teenagers had a blast shaping their chewed gum into anything their imaginations could conjure.
4. Gum Lockets
Picture lockets were all the rage during Victorian times. People would wear portraits of their loved ones around their necks to keep them close. In 1889, one gentleman had the innovative idea of a gum locket, where individuals could wear their chewed gum around their necks.
Initially, the idea didn’t catch on, but by 1913, the gum locket became a trendy accessory. It resembled a picture locket but had an interior lined with porcelain glass to keep the chewed gum from sticking. This allowed women to chew gum and, when needed, store their used gum safely until they were ready to chew it again. Delicious.
3. Americanization
As the US began to accept that chewing gum was here to stay, Americans began spreading the gum-chewing craze to other parts of the world.
Some people in other countries embraced the trend purely for the pleasure of chewing. As an Australian reporter put it in 1928, “I can see no reason to oppose chewing gum, except that the killjoys don’t like it. They dislike seeing human jaws moving in delight.”
Meanwhile, in England, there was an uproar over a policy that prohibited the police from chewing gum. The Duchess of Sutherland added to the controversy by asking, “Why, for Heaven’s sake, are our police forbidden to chew gum?” It turned out that some of the British upper class were pushing back against the Americanization of their culture and wanted to distance themselves from the trend of chewing gum.
2. Worry’s Greatest Foe
In 1916, chewing gum was hailed as “worry’s greatest enemy.” What had once been considered a crude habit among the working class had now become a psychological aid to many in the United States. One article even suggested that chewing gum could not only relieve worries, but also help with insomnia and depression.
A chief physician from the Morals Court of Chicago claimed that it was impossible for “worriment and depression to affect someone who is chewing gum,” as the act of chewing prevents worry due to the constant up-and-down jaw movement. Doctors began recommending gum to patients dealing with depression or anxiety, believing it could create a “better race of people” through its “medical use.”
1. Fay Tincher
By 1916, the silent film era embraced chewing gum, and Fay Tincher became its queen. She was known as the “girl with the chewing gum jaws,” and audiences admired her for her ability to “[chew] gum for a living.” However, Tincher was much more than a gum-chewing icon—she was a talented comedienne, actress, and director.
One of her most famous roles featured her portraying Ethel, a gum-chewing enthusiast who represented the image of the everyday working woman of the time. Her presence on screen brought this character to life, capturing the essence of the common, yet enduring, figure of that era.
Tincher was also recognized for her boyish style. In 1915, she shared with the Fargo Daily, “It’s more fun playing a boy in a movie comedy than chewing an entire pack of gum.”
