How a Lawsuit Against Coca-Cola Convinced Americans to Love Caffeine

In 1909, the federal government brought charges against the country’s best known soft-drink manufacturer, charging it with false advertising and for quietly loading its bottles with a risky stimulant. The case — named for a seizure of specially prepared syrup — was formally titled United States vs. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca Cola.

Two years later, in the spring of 1911, the trial commenced in Chattanooga, Tenn.