In 1894, Milton Hershey founded the Hershey Chocolate Company in Pennsylvania, which would become a cornerstone of the American chocolate industry. His innovative methods of production and marketing helped popularize chocolate as a mass-consumed product. Hershey's contributions not only transformed the confectionery market but also established a legacy of philanthropy and community development in the region.

Milton Hershey's founding of the chocolate empire symbolized the American Dream, inspiring 20th-century poetry that celebrated consumer culture. Poets like Langston Hughes reflected on the intersection of industry and personal aspiration in their works, using chocolate as a symbol of both pleasure and the complexities of modern life.