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Sports in Colonial America
Early sports not like modern sports
Sports as we know them are a recent development (19th century)
Amusements, leisure activities, recreationsWill see problems (impediments) in the early
development of sports
American IndiansMany sports, some similarities
Stickball (“Lacrosse” in French)RitualizedEnglish settlers did not copy the natives –
true Englishmen! (kept what they had learned in their villages/parishes)
Perhaps wanted to preserve old way of life. Also did not understand or want to copy the customs surrounding Indian sports. (sacred dancing, chanting, drumming, shamanism, body painting, pipe smoking, etc.)
Earliest American Sports (English in America)?
Games/amusements/sports in colonies
Horseracing CockfightingAnimal baitingAnglingFowlingHorseshoesPre-baseballPre-soccerPre-cricket
English backgroundRenaissance tradition praised sportImportance of leisure – Renaissance idealLove of play!Elites and social controlSports as preparation for warCommon folk
Sabbath, saints daysViolentMasculinity – not space for women, children
Cricket in colonial America – played as early as 1709
Common folkPlayed on religious holidays/feast daysRough “football” games – playing field was
sometimes the area between two villages!Running, jumping, wrestling
Area nobles might give prizes, feast for all! Gained loyalty – social ties
Aggressive, even violent! Brawling!
Masculinity WrestlingViolent “football” matchCockfighting
Exclusion of women, children, elderlyMasculine prerogative in family, society!
Brueghel – mid 16th century Flemish painter
English King, James I, “Book of Sports” 1618Sports (amusements) a good thingSabbath activities good!Why did he have to pronounce sports as
good? Puritanism, sports diverted person’s attention from God
Entertainment good – avoid radical politics, religious fanaticism!
Controversial document!
Puritan oppositionPuritans – Protestant Reformation – basic
ChristianitySports dangerousSports “Popish”No basis in early ChristianityDistraction from diligent work and pious
worship!
Bifurcated English sports heritage
Dual leisure tradition inherited by AmericansIn all colonies – there was a 1. spirit against sport, also 2. for sport
RegionalRegional variations
1. Southern Colonies2. Middle Colonies3. New England
General ruleAusterity stronger in NorthLeisure/sport stronger in South
SouthVirginiaGentry male elites – carried drinking,
gambling and old pastimes of Old England to New World
At home, has social privilege of hunting and fishing
LeisureLuxuryWork – not an end-all of life
1607 - JamestownCaptain John Smith – “4 hours each day was
spent in work, the rest in pastimes and merry exercise”
Hundreds died of disease and famine – do desperate men deserve free time?
South and lower castesSlave system in south
Slavery degraded laborLeisure was good (for those who could!)
Lower castes – fighting dirty (eye-gouging)Mutilated persons in south?
Blood sports
Southern gentlemenCricket, billiards, horse racingEncouraged by clergy and law
No resistance from Anglican clergyLaw upheld private gambling debts
South and male powerLower class whites - gambling – trying to
upset the order of thingsBlacks as boxers – hyper-masculinity of
dominated raceElite white population – pastime –
prerogative of leisure, gambling Honor, virility! Rituals of manhood – despite variations of
class, race – theme of gender – sports were for men! Playing sports, watching sport, gambling on sport!
Description of Virginia sports culture (1809)“A race is a Virginian’s pleasure,For which they always can find leisure:For that, they leave their farm and home,From ev’ry quarter they can come;With gentle, simple, rich and poor,The race-ground soon is cover’d o’ver;Negroes the gaming spirit take,And be and wager, ev’ry stake;Males, females, all, both black and whiteTogether at this sport unite.” Anne Ritson
RacingVirginians of all ranks and denominations
were “excessively fond” of horse racing.
New England
PuritansFewer sports, less leisureDistrust of ChristmasNot too many worldly delightsDon’t be tempted to not labor, or to not prayYet, not fanatical
[sometimes the problem was the gambling and the drinking!]
New England (Yale, Connecticut) view Jedidiah Morse, “father of American
geography”‘Diversions’ were sign of flawed societyTime “not employed in study or useful labor .
. . is generally spent in hurtful or innocent exercise.”
Against “spirit of gaming and barbarous sports”
Morse against Virginia, SouthVirginia – too many billiard tables, card
games, and backgammon boards “the gambling gentry . . . resort to kill time,
which hangs heavily upon them.”
Not one view in north thoughBenjamin Franklin?
Also taverns, community gathering (election day)
Challenges to Puritan view
Middle Colonies
DiversityPennsylvania – tolerationMaryland – tolerationQuakers – plain
Not church, is “meeting house”, no art in meeting house
Dutch – NYC, Hudson Valley – gander pullingNew York City and Philadelphia – port cities,
important centers for landed and commercial gentry to have fun