Rounders In The Civil War Essay

The sport that began as a modified version of two more popular imported games had its great awakening during the Civil War. The sport had grown somewhat in popularity especially in northern industrial cities like Boston and New York. However, the rules of the game varied slightly depending on what city or region of the country you were in. In New York, the game resembled modern baseball while in other parts of the country baseball resembled cricket or rounders more so than the modern sport. The vast regional differences between what was considered baseball, cricket, or rounders exemplified the divides in the country. It was then, in the most divided time in the history of the union, that baseball was find the right conditions to unite. At the

Union prisoners of war taught their confederate guards how to play the sport. Conversely, Union soldiers taught their Confederate prisoners how to play. The sport eventually spread throughout Confederate soldier camps to boost morale. One of the earliest paintings of modern baseball was of a game played at the Salisbury Confederate Prison in North Carolina (Schaefer). It was noted that games were played every day of the week except Sunday at the prison. In not just Salisbury, but in other prisons in became a not uncommon occurrence for Southerners to play Northerners in a game of baseball. Instead, of killing each other the soldiers were killing time. It is truly extraordinary to think that in a time of such division and chaos that men trained to kill each other could rally around a common principle. It is representatives of the union itself, that despite great divisions among people and states we are still rallied together by a similar set of principles and ideals. 1870s baseball player and MLB Hall of Famer Albert Spalding once was quoted in saying of baseball, “It received its baptism in the bloody days of our Nation 's direst danger. It had its early evolution when soldiers, North and South, were striving to forget their foes by cultivating, through this grand game, fraternal friendship with comrades in arms (Civil War

There are many conflicting stories regarding President Lincoln’s love of baseball. Some stories are even as outlandish to suggest that President Lincoln mentioned baseball on his death bed. Those stories are regarded as untrue. However, it is believed that President Lincoln did have a fascination with the sport. It is suggested by locals that he played a variation of baseball in Illinois prior to be elected President. Additionally, during his time in the White House Lincoln was known to have both watched and played baseball on the White House Lawn. Francis Preston Blair once said, “We boys hailed [Lincoln 's] coming with delight because he would always join us on the lawn. "I remember vividly how he ran, how long were his strides, how his coattails stuck out behind (Chicago Tribune)." Also, Lincoln is recorded as attending semi-pro games in the nation’s capital. Abraham Lincoln is America’s first baseball president. His rise coincided with baseball’s rise and like the sport he is said to have loved his legacy continues to today. Almost ninety years after the death of President Lincoln, Dodgers President Brach Rickey signed the first African-African American to a Major League Baseball contract. While signing Jackie Robinson, Rickey made sure that a portrait of the Sixteenth President watch over the proceedings (Chicago Tribune). The legacies of