Captain John Smith of England, who founded the colony of Virginia in Jamestown in 1607, knew coffee from his adventures in Turkey. He reportedly introduced the beverage to North America. The cargo list of the Mayflower in 1620 included a wooden mortar and pestle used to grind coffee powder. But it was the Dutch who spread the word about coffee in Europe and North America.

In 1664, the British occupied New Amsterdam and renamed the city New York. During this time, the popularity of coffee continued to grow in the New World, despite the high prices. At 12 cents a serving, the cost of coffee was equal to that of a full meal.

Almost a century later, the high price of tea became a symbol of all that was wrong with the Colonies. In Charleston and New York, colonists prevented clipper ships from unloading their cargo of tea. On December 16, 1773, patriots disguised as Indians raided several ships in the Boston Harbor and threw chests of tea into the water. After this, coffee soon became the beverage of choice for most Americans.

By 1670, the first license to sell coffee was granted to Dorothy Jones. This was the beginning of coffee trade in North America.

The first coffee break on the moon was enjoyed in 1969, four hours before the historic walk on July 20. An astronaut on the Eagle spacecraft radioed Houston control to say, "If you'll excuse me a minute, I'm going to have a cup of coffee."