By 1865, African Americans were no longer enslaved persons.
However, they still found themselves barred from participating in many elements of American society.
In the late 1800s, many southern states passed laws that enforced separation of the races. African Americans had to go to separate schools, restaurants, and hotels. They also had to use separate water fountains and railway cars, and sit at the back of buses.
In the North, informal discrimination kept African Americans living in separate neighborhoods, which meant they went to separate schools. Even jobs were segregated. Most African Americans couldn’t get anything but the lowest-paying jobs, and they had little chance of advancement. Baseball reflected the general segregation of U.S. society into white and black.

▲ Americans began playing games similar to baseball in the early 1800s. Teams were informal, rules changed from place to place, and there were no paid players. The first recorded baseball game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, on June 19, 1846. It was organized by Alexander Cartright, who established several rules that are still followed. Baseball became so popular that by the 1860s it was being called the national pastime. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings (above) became the first team to pay players, and therefore it’s considered to be the first professional baseball team.

◀ In the early days of professional baseball, Moses “Fleet” Walker (second row, left) was one of the few African American players on an integrated team. He played with the Toledo Blue Stockings. In 1883, Adrian “Cap” Anson of the Chicago White Stockings refused to play against the Blue Stockings if Walker took the field. However, the Blue Stockings’ manager insisted that the game be played. Anson finally agreed. Nevertheless, In future contests, Anson succeeded in forcing African American players to sit out games in which he played.

▲ Prominent white baseball players refused to play on or against teams with African American players. So baseball became an increasingly segregated sport. Some leagues had written rules that kept ball clubs from hiring African American players. Other leagues had unwritten rules that did the same. By 1900, there were no African Americans left playing on major league teams.


▲ “Rube” Foster (first row, center) was one of the greatest African American players. He eventually became co-owner of the Chicago American Giants. Foster believed the African American baseball teams would fare better if they had an organized league that could set up playing schedules and establish rules that would make the game more professional. League play would allow fans to compare teams. It would also enable the league to have championship games. In 1923, Foster formed the Negro National League—the first of many Negro leagues.

◀ One of the great players was pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige. He played in the Negro leagues for 26 years. Then, in 1948, after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball, Paige, age 42, played with the Cleveland Indians. In 1965, at the age of 59, he pitched three scoreless innings for the Oakland A’s.