Change the rally call from “Remember the Alamo!” to “Thanks for the Chiclets!”
Mexico’s General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna of the famous battle for the Alamo in today's San Antonio, Texas, lived in exile on Staten Island for nearly a decade after the war of Texas independance. During this time, Santa Anna hatched plots to win back his country and, simultaneously, contributed to the invention of chewing gum.
During 1836, the general, who also was president of Mexico, led a 1,500-man army against 200 Texans, including Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie. The Texans lasted 13 days before they were overrun by the Mexican army.
A couple of months later, the Texans captured Santa Anna and forced him to recognize Texas independence. The general was exiled to the U.S., where he befriended President Andrew Jackson and Staten Island’s Gilbert L. Thompson, son-in-law of New York’s Governor Daniel Tompkins.
Santa Anna eventually returned to Mexico. After repeated attempts to return to power, he was sentenced to death. During 1865, Thompson sailed a schooner to Mexico, smuggled Santa Anna out of the country and brought him to his New York home. While on Staten Island, Santa Anna continued to develop plots to regain his power in Mexico.
Gum Idea Didn't Stick
One of the general's ideas to raise funds for these plots involved importing rubber-like chicle, the waxy portion of the sapodilla tree, to manufacture carriage tires. The idea never prospered, but the chicle was used by the general's aide, Thomas Adams, to invent the chewing gum known as Chiclets.
Lost history like this can be discovered in strange places and in unique ways. The Santa Anna connection to Staten Island and chewing gum came from recently auctioned documents, including a signed 1867 proclamation that acknowledges his interpreter during his stay on Staten Island.
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