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