Kinesiology and Nutritional Science Cal. State LA Cal. State LA Kinesiology and Nutritional Science College of HHS
Section 4: Historical and Philosophical Development of Sport in America
Chapter 11: Sport In Colonial America
Chapter Outline
ıChapter 11's outline is in part a reproduction and in part a modification and expansion of original lecture notes by Dr. Steve Estes, California State University, Fullerton.
Mechikoff, R., & Estes, S. (1998). A history and philosophy of sport and physical education: From the ancient Greeks to the present (2nd ed.). Madison, WI: Brown & Benchmark.
Colonial America was a composite of the ideas that developed in the Western world since the times of the ancient Greeks.
A. Attitudes toward sport and recreation were representative of the regions of Europe from which the settlers came
B. New England was Puritan
  • Against play generally
C. Mid-Atlantic (New York) was Dutch, Quaker
  • Moderate play acceptable
D. South was Catholic, Baptist, and Methodist
  • Most friendly toward play
E. Attitudes were most strongly influenced by religion.
  • Many of the colonists left Europe because of religious persecution in the Old World.
New England Puritans were influenced by the Puritan movement in 17th century England
A. New England Puritans were cool toward playful activities.
B. All human beings were born "flawed" in the eyes of God
  • Goal was to restrain the "evil" impulses of sinners
  • Play was considered "evil"
"idle hands are the devil's workshop"
C. The good religious life determined how one should behave
  • Government was formed to insure religious behavior
  • Control of emotions and behaviors was critical
  • Much debate over what was proper behavior
D. Protestant work ethic
  • To be seen working hard was a sign that one was destined for heaven
  • To be seen playing was a sign of moral depravity
  • Overcoming the desire to play was a sign of moral goodness
E. Absolute ban on play was recognized to be impossible
1. Differed from European Puritans, who banned all play
2. So what play is acceptable?
a. Play that helped maintain civic order
b. John Downame
1. moderate recreation keeps one refreshed
c. John Winthrop
2. abstention from recreation created disorder in his life
d. fishing, hunting, and walking acceptable because it improved one's health, renewed one's spirit, return to work refreshed
3. Maintain the Sabbath
a. John Baker whipped for hunting
1. hunting not bad
2. failed to keep Sabbath
Amusements in New England
A. Taverns and inns were the American version of English Pubs, German Beer Halls, and European inns.
B. Frontier taverns provided amusements and lodging
  • Contests and prizes, charged a fee, and sell food and drink
  • Darts and cards were popular games
  • Marksmanship, boxing, cockfighting, and horseracing were popular
C. Socially accepted amusements such as hop scotch, horse racing, ice skating, and sleigh-riding became more acceptable as Puritan influence eroded with immigration.
Sport in the Mid-Atlantic Region
A. Quakers of Pennsylvania
B. Dutch Calvinists in New York
  • More friendly toward playful activities
  • Smoked pipes, bowling and ice skating
  • Eating, drinking and gambling were common activities of the Europeans who settled in New Amsterdam (New York)
  • Horse racing popular from the beginning
    a. improvement of the breed
    b. gamble on the outcome
Bowling, golf, early versions of croquet, tennis, cricket, shooting matches, and sleigh rides in winter.
Sport in the South
A. Growth of sports in the south helped by:
good weather
paucity or nonexistence of Puritans, and
Catholicism was the dominant religion in the South
B. Southern gentlemen of Virginia were extremely competitive, individualistic, and materialistic
  • These characteristics facilitate sport behavior
  • Wagering money and tobacco on horse races
  • Rugged individualism and competitiveness manifest in wagering on horses
  • Improve social position by increasing wealth
  • Founding Fathers enjoyed horse racing
    George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Marshall, Henry Clay, and Andrew Jackson
C. First horse races were a quarter mile long
1. Led to the Virginia quarter horse
2. Race tracks were built in Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina
  • Wagering was often heavy, and women placed bets right along side of the men
  • Big races followed by social festivities
D. Other sports included fox hunts, county fairs, hunting, fishing, rowing, lawn bowling, dancing, cock fighting, boxing, fencing, shooting matches
E. Social class often dictated appropriate sporting behavior
1. Upper class: southern gentlemen exhibited requisite social and athletic skills
  • riding, dancing, fencing, and conversation
2. Slaves participated as jockeys and boxers
  • Tom Molineaux gained his freedom from slavery by fighting on the Southern Plantation Circuit.
  • Molineaux went to England in 1810 to fight the British Champion, Tom Cribb
  • in twenty-nine rounds Molineaux was beating Cribb but lost in the fortieth round.
3. Native Americans (Indians) originated the game of Lacrosse in the Northeast.
Native Americans were expert riders; engaged in horseracing and tribal dances
Copyright© 1996-2002, Daniel Frankl, Ph.D.
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