There IS good American chocolate to be had, chocolate that follows the more European tradition, but you'll have to look for it or order it online.
Chocolate Truffles, Gourmet Boxes of Chocolate, Easter Chocolate | Moonstruck Chocolate Company
Scharffen Berger -- Home
Welcome to Theo Chocolate
I eat a lot of Theo chocolate (1 bar a week--lasts the whole week). It is seriously good stuff. And when I visit Portland, Moonstruck is always on the list. The problem with eating this stuff is that Dove and Hershey can't compete, and so cheap chocolate is out once you've become habituated to eating it.
Other chocolate I like:
http://www.greenandblacks.com/ Especially the Maya Gold bar.
http://www.equalexchange.coop/
If you have a hippie food co-op in your area, that may be a place where you will find these bars.