Step 1 : Introduction to the question "What item did the first vending machines in the United States dispense?"
In 1888, the Thomas Adams Gum Company introduced the very first vending machines to the United States. The vending machines were installed on the elevated subway platforms in New York City and sold Tutti-Fruiti gum. The machine itself was very primitive compared to the vending machines of the twenty-first century. It included a coin slot, a shelf for the product to be distributed to the consumer, and two levers that when pushed down, activated the system inside. Soon, vending machines were available that offered almost everything, including cigarettes, hot meals, and stamps.
