Social Studies |
High School
Course Information
American Baseball History
This course surveys and interprets the history of baseball in the United States. Major topics studied are “Origins of Sport”, “Professionalism and the National Pastime”, “Troubles of Big Business”, “Baseball and America from the Progressive Era through the 1920s”, “Baseball, the Great Depression, and World War II”, “Baseball and the African American Experience,” “Baseball and Post War America: 1950s-1960s,” and “Baseball and America in the 1970s and 1980s.” The course deals with both the role and significance of baseball in American society over the past 150 years and with the history of the game itself.
| Subject: | Social Studies |
| State Number: | 156690 |
| Course Credits: |  Half Credit (0.5) Course |
| Course Options: | |
| NCAA: |  NCAA Approved |
Theme 1: Origins of Sport
- Analyze the relationship between the Industrial Revolution in the Victorian Era and the rise of leisure time activities with a special attention to the concept of “sport.” (1.1.A)
- Analyze the impact of the Civil War on the spread of baseball in America. (1.1.B)
- Identify the locations where the first amateur and professional teams arose and explain how this relates to the influence of geography on the rise of large American cities. (1.3.A)
- Examine the role of social history through the development of baseball as a major sport in America (1.5.A)
- Critically analyze biographical information on baseball pioneers to determine their significance and then decide what kind of men they were and what formed their character (1.5.B)
Theme 2: Professionalism and the National Pastime
- Analyze the historical and societal events that contributed to the beginning of baseball and its growth to professionalism (2.1.A)
- Examine and analyze the parallels between the conquests for monopolies in business and baseball; as well as the related parallels in worker/player discontent during the late 1800’s (2.4.A)
- Examine the role of social history through the development of baseball as a major sport in America (2.5.A)
- Critically analyze biographical information on baseball pioneers to determine their significance and then decide what kind of men they were and what formed their character (2.5.B)
Theme 3: Baseball and the Troubles of Big Business
- Compare the growth of other industrial-era big businesses to that of the rise of the National League. (3.1.A)
- Analyze the roles of American Robber-Barons/Captains of Industry and analyze how Albert Spalding fits into this context. (3.1.B)
- Examine and analyze the parallels between the conquests for monopolies in business and baseball; as well as the related parallels in worker/player discontent during the late 1800’s (3.4.A)
- Examine the role of social history through the development of baseball as a major sport in America (3.5.A)
- Critically analyze biographical information on baseball pioneers to determine their significance and then decide what kind of men they were and what formed their character (3.5.B)
Theme 4: Baseball and America from the Progressive Era through the Roaring 20s
- Identify and explain the societal characteristics which caused the boom in baseball’s popularity during the 1920’s (4.1.A)
- Analyze the supreme court decision Federal Baseball Club v. National League, which granted baseball antitrust exemption. (4.2.A)
- Examine and analyze the societal and economic importance of baseball during World War I and World War II; and how baseball changed during these times (4.4.A)
- Examine the role of social history through the development of baseball as a major sport in America (4.5.A)
- Critically analyze biographical information on baseball pioneers to determine their significance and then decide what kind of men they were and what formed their character (4.5.B)
Theme 5: Baseball, the Great Depression, and World War II
- Analyze the effects of American involvement in World War II on baseball in America with a special emphasis on the effects on women and African Americans, as well as the opportunities given to white males who otherwise would not have been in Major League Baseball. (5.1.A)
- Explain President Roosevelt’s decision not to suspend professional baseball during the war effort. (5.2.A)
- Analyze the reasons for, and effects of, executive order 9066, and explain the history and role of baseball among Japanese Americans prior to and during the period of Japanese internment. (5.2.B)
- Identify and explain the far reaching effects of the Depression on American society and how baseball attempted to avoid financial collapse. (5.4.A)
- Examine and analyze the societal and economic importance of baseball during World War I and World War II; and how baseball changed during these times (5.4.B)
- Examine the role of social history through the development of baseball as a major sport in America (5.5.A)
- Critically analyze biographical information on baseball pioneers to determine their significance and then decide what kind of men they were and what formed their character (5.5.B)
Theme 6: Baseball and the African American Experience
- Identify and explain how baseball paralleled societal racial attitudes and recognize how African Americans slowly gained a place in the “National Pastime”, as well as who made the significant contributions. (6.1.A)
- Analyze the impact that government decisions had on the development of black culture in northern cities, and how this is reflected in the rise of the Negro National League of the 1920s. (6.2.A)
- Identify the areas of the country that were the most impacted by the Great Migration and compare this to areas where Negro League teams played. (6.3.A)
- Examine the role of the Negro Leagues as a successful black business during the Great Depression. (6.4.A)
- Examine the role of social history through the development of baseball as a major sport in America. (6.5.A)
- Critically analyze biographical information on baseball pioneers to determine their significance and then decide what kind of men they were and what formed their character. (6.5.B)
Theme 7: Baseball and Post-War America
- Examine the impact of the Civil Rights Era and the Vietnam War on the popularity of baseball in the 1960s. (7.1.A)
- Analyze the impact of television on the popularity of baseball. (7.1.B)
- Analyze the geographic spread of baseball teams in the years following World War II. (7.3.A)
- Explain the significance of New York city in postwar American culture and entertainment, and how this is reflected in the success and popularity of the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants of New York in the early 1950s. (7.3.B)
- Analyze the effects of the post-WWII economy on American demographics, mobility, and the popularity of, and involvement of Americans in, the national pastime. (7.4.A)
- Examine the role of social history through the development of baseball as a major sport in America (7.5.A)
- Critically analyze biographical information on baseball pioneers to determine their significance and then decide what kind of men they were and what formed their character (7.5.B)
Theme 8: Baseball and America in the 1970s and 1980s
- Compare the role of Marvin Miller and the Players’ Union in the 1970s to the workers’ unions of the progressive era. (8.1.A)
- Analyze the reasons that Major League baseball regained popularity in the 1970s. (8.1.B)
- Examine the economic changes in baseball during the 1970’s and 1980’s and their causes. (8.4.A)
- Examine the role of social history through the development of baseball as a major sport in America (8.5.A)
- Critically analyze biographical information on baseball pioneers to determine their significance and then decide what kind of men they were and what formed their character (8.5.B)
