Figure 1.--As soccer became popular in America during the 1970s, boys commonly wore tube socks with colored bands as part of the uniform. Tube socks were also popular in basketball.

Sports are probably more important in America than in other country. We are not entirely sure why, but prosperity and economic afluence is one factor. People living at the subsistence level or just slightly above do not have the ability to pursue sports. Another factor is urbanization. American sports like sports all over the world have been influenced by the sports developed in Britain, in part at public (exclusive private) schools. But as America separate from Britain in the late-18th century, sports while having some similarity developed differet than in Britain and rthge rest of the British Empire. American sports, reflecting the relative isolation of the United States in the 19th century, developed in a different direction than in most other countries.

Chronology

Sports are probably more important in America than in other country. We are not entirely sure why, but prosperity and economic afluence is one factor. People living at the subsistence level or just slightly above do not have the ability to pursue sports. Another factor is urbanization. American sports like sports all over the world have been influenced by the sports developed in Britain, in part at public (exclusive private) schools. But as America separate from Britain in the late-18th century, sports while having some similarity developed differet than in Britain and the rest of the British Empire. American sports, reflecting the relative isolation of the United States in the 19th century, developed in a different direction than in most other countries. Private schools did not play as important a role in America as they did in Britain. A variety od sports were played mostlybinformally in the early 19th century. Thus varied regiinally and was much more developed in the big northeastern cities than the rest of the country. This changed with the Civil War when the came spread all over the country. As far as we camn tell, itvwas mosrly baseball that was played at Civil War camps. Professional teams began to form. Football was not ininitally as pooular as baseball and developed more slowly. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor, invented basketball (1891). Thus by the-turn-of-the 20th century, all three major American sports were established and growing in popularity. Baseball untill after World war II was the dominant American sport. Large numbers of boys played Little League and after some resistance, the girls were allowed to join in. In the post-War era, suburban kids began playing soccer. We also see basketball becoming increasingly important and large numbers of black boys wwre able to play the sport in thge resticted enviriment iof the inner city.

Specific Sports

The three major sports in America are football, basketball, and baseball. Football and baseball have British anrecedents, but basketball was envented in America as an entitrely new sport. Football is related to rugby and to a lesser extent soccer. Soccer is not a major professional sport in the United States--although since the 1970s it is commonly played by children. The principal sports played in America (baseball, basketball, and football) are exclusively played in America or in a small number of other countruies. The one important American professional team sport played internationally is baseball. American teams, however, mostly play other American teams or Canadian teams. Some sports are largely associated with country clubs, including golf and tennis. Swimming is a largely club sport.

Baseball

Basball evolved from British cricket and is somewhat related to rounders which is played at British schools. Both are believed to have evolved from cricket. No one really knows when and where baseball first developed. Some sports historians that rounders was being played in America during the early19th century. There was non uniform set of rules. A variety of sources reporrt Americans plasying what was variously called "townball", "base", or "baseball". Towns began to form teams. Baseball clubs were formed in the larger cities. Abner Doubleday is often credited as the father of baseball. He did not invent the sport, but rather began to formalize rules for the sport It became the first important professional sport in the United States, often called the national passtime. The one important American professional team sport played internationally is baseball. American teams, however, mostly play other American teams or Canadian teams. The knickers uniform are a residual of te 19th century origins.

Basketball

We have no information about basketball in the 19th century. We see highschool basketball teams in the early-20th century. It becamne a major scholastic and collegiate sport as it was played indoors during the winter when football and baseball were difficultv to oplsy. We do not seev much interest amongvyounger boys until the post-World War II period. It became a sport especially popular with blavks, we think because it could be played in the inner-city when baseball and football fields were not available.

Football

We do not know much about football in the 19th century. We do thanks to the new family snapshot photography vsee boys playing football in the earely 20th century.

Boxing

It was also a popular sport in America by the late-19th century. And it was taught in schools as a sport. We do not have a lot of infoirnmation on boxing in America during the 19th century. Once snapshots appear at the turn of the 20th century, we have a much better idea of how popular sports are and we see images of boys, but of course never girls boxing. A good example is a family boxing lesson about 1914. Boxing was also a popular activity at YMCAs in American and Europe.

Gymnastics

Tennis

Soccer

Soccer (football) is not a major professional sport in the United States--although since the 1970s it is commonly played by children.

Swimming

We have no information on American athing suits in the early 19th century. Seaside resorts will still not well developed in the mid-19th century. This changed drmaically in the late 19th cetury. The wealth created by indistrialization made vacains posible and the railroads provided the mobility to easily reach the seaside. And photography has left us countless images of bathing suits. By the late 19th century we see men and boys wearing coordinate shirt and knee-length pants, mostly done in wool. Bold stripes were very popular foir these suits. We are not sure about the colors. The trunks after the turn of te century began to be cut shorter. And after World war I became quite brief hort pants and the shirt part gradually shrunk. The shirts or tops were still prevalent in the 1920s and even the 30s, altough by the end of the decade we see some bpys swiming without the tops. This was especially the case at summer camps. Going topless for the men an boys was not not always a personal option. Many communities had municipal reguklations requiring the tops. Someconservative communities still required them in the early 1940s.

Created: Septmber 22, 2003
Last updated: 4:23 PM 2/12/2011