Mexican dictator Santa Anna was driven into exile in 1855. In 1869 the 75-year-old politician was living in the United states. He had in mind a scheme to raise money for a revolution in Mexico by selling chicle. Upon meeting an inventor named Thomas Adams, he painted a rosy picture of how they could both make a fortune by turning chicle into a low-priced rubber substitute. Adams agreed to give it a try. He spent a year experimenting on the chicle, but to no avail.
Santa Anna ended up going back to Mexico. Adams was ready to dump the useless chicle when he walked into a drugstore and saw a little girl ordering chewing gum made out of paraffin wax. Remembering that Mexicans chewed chicle, Adams thought he might turn his stash into chewing gum.
Chewing chicle proved far superior to chewing wax. "Adams New York Gum Number 1" became hugely popular. It was the first modern chewing gum.
墨西哥獨裁者聖安納一八五五年遭放逐。一八六九年，這個七十五歲政客時居美國，計劃賣糖膠樹膠，賺錢在墨西哥搞革命。他和發明家湯瑪斯．亞當斯見面，鼓其巧舌說，糖膠樹膠要是製成便宜的橡膠代用品，兩人就都可以發財。亞當斯答應一試，但做了一年實驗，了無成果。
聖安納最後回到墨西哥。亞當斯也準備把無用的糖膠樹膠丟掉。有一次，他走進雜貨店，看見一個小女孩要買石蠟製成的口香糖，心想，墨西哥人有嚼糖膠樹膠習慣，他所存樹膠未必不可作口香糖的材料。
嚼糖膠樹膠無疑遠勝嚼石蠟。「亞當斯紐約第一口香糖」大受歡迎，成為現代口香糖的鼻祖。