The Elite & The Land
These 3 resources were required to participate in horse racing.
Land, horses, and money.
Historians call this the most popular "pastime" in both England and the US in the 1700s.
Cockfighting.
The 18th-century term for boxing.
Pugilism.
The original creators and players of the game of lacrosse.
Iroquois.
This strict religious group "despised" gambling and worked to ban horse racing on public streets.
Puritans.
Animals imported by tobacco farmers to keep English hunting traditions alive.
Red foxes.
The two US Presidents associated with cockfighting (as a "cocker" or referee).
Washington and Lincoln.
Jewish fighter who changed the game by using quickness instead of raw power.
Daniel Mendoza.
Lacrosse was famously used as a diplomatic tool to avoid this.
Warfare.
The "democratic" social hubs where commoners gathered to play cards, dice, and pool.
Taverns.
Because it required massive amounts of land, specialized breeding, and high maintenance costs, this sport was the ultimate display of "prestige and power."
Horse Racing.
A chained animal (bear or bull) forced to fight dogs to the death.
Baiting.
The primary physical goal and ending move of a Southern "Rough and Tumble" match.
Eye-gouging.
According to Indigenous tradition, players were often buried with their sticks to ensure they could continue to play the game in this specific "next" stage of existence.
What is the Afterlife?
Commoners often used these four items rather than cash to wager on sports, settling debts through trade.
Tobacco, alcohol, cash, and debt settlements.
Because dedicated tracks were rare, "commoners" often raced horses on these.
Public roadways.
These two marginalized groups enjoyed cockfighting because it was "cheap entertainment."
Farmers and slaves.
Fighting offered a rare path to fame for these two marginalized groups, who were often recruited as "pugilists" to represent their communities.
African American slaves and Irish/Jewish immigrants.
When American observers banned the "pagan" rituals of lacrosse, they often forced Indigenous youth to play this more "civilized" British sport instead.
Baseball or Cricket.
Though they were often banned from official participation, these two groups were essential to the "Elite" sports as jockeys, grooms, and trainers.
Slaves and Laborers.
The first official horse track was established in 1665 in this specific location.
Long Island, New York.
Why did the US take longer than the UK to ban blood sports?
Slower "civilizing" influence and frontier culture.
Beyond his skill, what did Tom Molineaux’s international success symbolize for the status of African Americans in the sporting world?
That marginalized groups could gain fame and "social capital" through physical excellence.
Unlike European sports that emphasized individual win/loss records, what was the primary "goal" of an Indigenous lacrosse match in terms of community and nature?
To bring people back to nature and ensure community harmony.
This "geographical factor" determined class status in sport: elites played on private estates while commoners used public streets.