“(Bitter)sweet Chocolate: Exploring 18th Century Chocolate From Bean to Beverage”
Join award-winning historian and educator Michele Gabrielson for a delectable journey through taste, tradition, and transformation in the world of 18th-century chocolate. This interactive program explores the fascinating history of chocolate during the 18th century, a pivotal time when this once-exclusive beverage became a beloved delicacy across the world. We will examine the origins of chocolate, tracing its journey from Mesoamerica to its introduction in Spain and subsequent spread across the continent and back to the American colonies. The program concludes by sampling chocolate that would have been enjoyed by colonists!
Michele Gabrielson is an award-winning local history teacher and 18th-century historic interpreter. Ms. Gabrielson serves as the secretary for the nonprofit Mercy Otis Warren Society, is a member of the Authenticity Standards Committee for Minuteman National Historic Park, and is the coordinator for the Battle Road Guides for the annual reenactment of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. She was awarded a 2024 Rising Star Award for Public History by the Massachusetts History Alliance for her programming titled “The Revolutionary Classroom” and named a finalist for the 2024 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year. She was the Massachusetts Daughters of the American Revolution’s Outstanding History Teacher of the Year for 2025 and the 2025 winner of the Fred Graham Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.
