Aplit

Working-Class Leisure in the Immigrant City

Activities

The Streets, the Saloon, and the Boxing Match

Boxing

The Rise of Professional Sports

Baseball

Other Sports

Vaudeville, Amusement Parks, and Dance Halls

Ragtime

Scott Joplin

In colonial time leisure wasn’t an issue because ministers said that “idleness” led to wickedness

With time some leisure appeared, but still hostility was present, and not until after the Civil War, with an increase of immigrants new patterns of leisure appeared

The working class danced, went to saloons, pool halls, walked the streets, visited amusement parks

Some activities were for both genders, while other attracted only one of the sexes

Young working women were in social clubs & dance halls

City streets were full of fun, with musicians and peddlers

Saloons accompanied most men in the streets, defining group identity and becoming immigrant political centers

Rougher saloons had prostitution and crime

Bare-knuckles prizefighting became an entertaining activity, with the very poor fighting it out

Amateur boxing also gained support of the elite

Rules with the use of gloves, no wrestling holds, and 3-minute rounds came from England and the sport was becoming professional

The 1st baseball team, New York Knickerbockers, were formed in 1845, with the sport originating from an old English game “rounders”

Other teams were organized too, Cincinnati Red Stockings, and others in the National League, which was organized in 1869

Baseball was attracting all class audience, but especially the working class

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