Cocoa, native to lowland, tropical South America, has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central America and Mexico, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC.

The majority of the Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate beverages, including the Maya and Aztecs. Chocolate has been used as a drink for nearly all of its history. For hundreds of years, the chocolate making process remained unchanged.
When the people saw the Industrial Revolution arrive, many changes occurred that brought about the food today in its modern form. A Dutch family's (van Houten) inventions made mass production of shiny, tasty chocolate bars and related products possible.
In the 1700s, mechanical mills were created that squeezed out cocoa butter, which in turn helped to create hard, durable chocolate. But, it was not until the arrival of the Industrial Revolution that these mills were put to bigger use.
Not long after the revolution cooled down, companies began advertising this new invention to sell many of the chocolate treats we see today. When new machines were produced, people began experiencing and consuming chocolate worldwide.