Teammates

by Eve Bunting

Brooklyn

Brooklyn
New York City is composed of five large boroughs: Staten Island, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. Brooklyn is the most densely populated of the boroughs and lies at the southwest tip of Long Island. It covers 71 square miles and is larger than most cities in the United States. The neighborhoods in Brooklyn are extremely diverse, with large populations of African Americans, Italian Americans, and Russians.

Brooklyn is a major seaport and industrial center. It is the home of many famous landmarks, including Coney Island (a famous amusement park), and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges are its main connections to the island of Manhattan.

The Canarsie Indians were the first known inhabitants of Brooklyn. It was then settled by the Dutch in 1834, becoming its own city named after the Dutch village of Breuckelen. Industries began to flourish and the population increased rapidly. Brooklyn became part of New York City in 1898. Its oldest neighborhoods, Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, have many houses over 100 years old

Brooklyn Dodgers

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The History of Baseball
Stick and ball games have existed for thousands of years in almost every civilization. Many claims are made about baseball’s origins in the U.S. Some believe the predecessor of baseball was rounders, a British folk game from the early 18^th century. It is clear that in the early 19^th century, there was increased popularity of ball and stick games called “base,” “townball,” and “baseball.”

In the early 1800s, small towns began to form teams and compete with other towns. In 1845, Andrew Cartwright formulated a list of rules to provide universal regulations for the game. In 1857, 25 teams from the Northeast held a convention to discuss the rules of the game. A year later, the National Association of Baseball Players formed the first baseball league.

In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional baseball team. The National League replaced the National Association in 1875 and created standards for contracts, schedules, and ticket prices. The second major league, the American League, formed in 1901.

Baseball is known as the “national pastime,” but love of the game has spread all over the world. Besides the U.S., baseball has gained popularity in Canada, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, the Netherlands, South Africa, and various Latin American countries.

Segregation Laws
Between 1865 and 1967, numerous laws were made to keep the African-American population separate from the rest of society. These laws, known as the Jim Crow Laws, created strict regulations for black citizens affecting every part of their lives. Laws prevented Blacks from using the same entrances to parks as Whites, using the same bathrooms, drinking from the same fountains, or attending the same schools. Numerous laws also prevented people of different races from living together or getting married.

Although African Americans were free from slavery, the segregation laws prevented them from living as full citizens of the U.S. The Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. The Topeka Board of Education (Topeka, KS) spelled the end of segregation laws by requiring black students to be allowed to attend white schools and receive equal education. Although the Jim Crow Laws ceased to be legal, they were still enforced well into the 60s, particularly in the South, before being banned as a result of the Civil Rights Movement.

Flags

New York

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Related Activity

Play math baseball. Enter the answer and hit the swing button. Fun!

Links
Jackie Robinson scrapbook

Pee Wee Reese picture and biography

African-American “firsts” in sports