This course will explore baseball through the lenses of race, gender, and culture. For good and for ill, baseball has been at the forefront of how the United States has dealt with these issues. Does baseball leading the way with desegregation negate that the sport was at the forefront of segregation with its Gentlemen’s Agreements? What is the historical legacy of baseball providing opportunities for women during wartime, in a way that other North American professional sports leagues did not? These are some of the ideas that this course will explore as it shows baseball’s virtues and flaws.
Overview
Syllabus
- Baseball Comes of Age
- Welcome to the course! In this module we will cover topics surrounding post civil war reconstruction, the rise of journalism in baseball, the color line, and women's baseball.
- Baseball Culture
- In this module we will cover topics surrounding the Progressive Era, post war anxiety, the negro leagues, and continue the discussion on women's baseball.
- Only the Ball was White
- In this module we will cover topics surrounding the road to integration, Jackie Robinson, the Civil Rights movement, and obstacles to equality.
- Post War
- In this final module we will cover topics surrounding gender and baseball, the Cold War, and a changing America.
Taught by
Tom Zeiler
