By 1865, African Americans were no longer enslaved persons.
But they still weren’t allowed to do everything that white Americans did.
In the late 1800s, many southern states passed laws that kept the races apart. African Americans had to go to separate schools. They had to use separate restaurants and hotels. They also had to use separate water fountains and sit at the back of buses.
Up North, segregation wasn’t the law, but African Americans still lived in separate neighborhoods. So they went to separate schools. Most African Americans could only get the lowest-paying jobs. They had little chance of getting better jobs. American society was split between white and black. Baseball reflected that.

▲ Americans first started playing games that were a lot like baseball in the early 1800s. However, teams were always changing members. Different teams played by different rules, and no one got paid. The first recorded baseball game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, on June 19, 1846. Alexander Cartright organized that game. He also made several rules that are still followed. Baseball soon became very popular. By the 1860s, people said it was America’s national sport. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings (above) began to pay its players. They became the first professional baseball team.

◀ In the early days of professional baseball, there were a few African American players. Moses “Fleet” Walker (second row, far left) was one. He played with the Toledo Blue Stockings. In 1883, Chicago White Stockings star “Cap” Anson refused to play the Blue Stockings. He didn’t want Walker on the field. But the Blue Stockings’ manager wouldn’t agree to that. Anson finally backed down. Afterwards, Anson forced African American players to sit out games in which he played.

▲ Many whites wouldn’t play on or against teams with African Americans. Some leagues had rules that kept them out. Others had unwritten rules that did the same. By 1900, no major league teams had African American players.


▲ One of the greatest African American players was “Rube” Foster (first row, center). He later co-owned the Chicago American Giants. Foster believed African American teams would make more money if they had a league with a regular schedule. This would allow fans to compare teams. The league could also have championship games. In 1923, Foster formed the Negro National League. It was the first of many Negro leagues.

◀ Leroy “Satchel” Paige was a great pitcher. He played in the Negro leagues for 26 years. Thanks to Jackie Robinson’s success, Paige joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948. He was then 42 years old. In 1965, at the age of 59, he pitched three scoreless innings for the Oakland A’s.