Post-Civil War Baseball

Throughout American history segregation of blacks and whites has existed in almost all aspects of life including work, school, recreation, and transportation. From their arrival to America as slaves, African Americans have been alienated by whites, but have over time fought for their equality and integration. Unlike most black and white recreational activities, baseball started as a game enjoyed by whites and blacks alike—most teams were all white or all black, but integrated teams did exist--however, The National Association of Baseball Players made a decision to forbid any team from playing if they had both black and white members in order to decrease post-Civil War hostility between white northerners and southerners. In response to this

By the beginning of the Civil War people played baseball in all party of the country. During the war it was a favorite recreation of union soldiers. By the time of the Industrial Revolution the sport was a beloved part of leisure time and the game became more high class. Baseball was becoming extremely popular in major cities across America and had also reached Canada. The first structured baseball organization was called the National Association of Baseball Players, formed in 1858 (Waggoner). From the beginning there were all white, all black, and integrated teams that all enjoyed the game. However, in 1967 The NABBP made the decision to forbid any teams to play with African American members. The organization worried what people might think if they allowed African Americans to participate with post-war tension still looming. They believed that without the interruption of black players, the game could bring together white northerners and southerners and take away some of the still existing hostility from the war. However, when the league was reorganized in 1871 and became the National Association of Professional Baseball Players they did not include the written rule against black participation. Even so, black players did not try to

It was not until after several unsuccessful attempts that the Negro League was officially established in 1920. The black baseball league demonstrates how African Americans have fought to be successful and find their own place despite segregation, racism, and discrimination. However, black baseball players were still mistreated despite their resilient attitude. Geoffrey C. Ward writes, “The colored ball player suffers a great inconvenience at times while traveling. All the hotels are generally filled from the cellar to the garret when they strike a town. It’s a common occurrence fro them to arrive in a city late at night and walk around for several hours before getting a place to lodge… With the color question uppermost in the minds of the people at the present time, such proceedings on the part of hotel keepers may be expected and will be difficult to remedy” (88). It was not unusual for black players to be denied from hotels and restaurants while traveling for baseball simply because they were black baseball players, but the blacks kept playing. It is no w believed that there were colored players who were as good if not better than greatest white players such as Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, and Satchel Paige (Vecsey 88). However, these great black players went unrecognized because African American teams were forced to