Chemical Leaveners, which came along in the 1800s, revolutionized how people cooked at home. They made possible not only quick breads such as baking powder biscuits, which were a real godsend to women who even had to draw water for their cooking needs, but whole new ranges of baked goods.
Chemical Leaveners work based on the combination of alkalines with acids. The chemical reaction releases carbon dioxide, which causes the baked good to rise.