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1805 |
William Richmond a free black from Staten Island, New York, fights and loses to English boxing champion Thomas Cribb. Cribb is probably the first African American professional athlete, although his boxing career is in England.
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1806 |
The black jockey “Monkey” Simon is a star at Clover Bottom Race Track near Nashville, Tennessee. |
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1809 |
Thomas Molineaux, a former Virginia slave who gained his freedom by winning boxing purses for his master, fights and loses to Cribb in another celebrated bout in England. |
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1846 |
The Danish-African businessman William Leidesdorff opens San Francisco's first luxury hotel, the City Hotel. He also organizes the first horse race in the San Francisco Bay area. |
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1850s |
The African American jockey Abe Hawkins becomes well known at the race track outside of New Orleans in Metarie, Louisiana. |
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1867 |
The newly created National Association of Baseball bans “colored clubs” from its organization and urges member white clubs not to hire black players.
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1870 |
Viro “Black Sam” Small wrestles professionally in New York City. |
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1875 |
Oliva (Oliver) Lewis becomes the first black jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.
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1877 |
The black jockey Billy Wakers wins the Kentucky Derby. |
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1878 |
John W. “Bud” Fowler becomes the first black professional baseball player, joining an otherwise all-white team in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Fowler is credited with inventing shin guards to protect his legs because white players tried to spike him.
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1881 |
Moses Fleetwood Walker and his brother Welday play on the Oberlin College baseball team, one of the few integrated college sports teams. |
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1882 |
Babe Hurd wins the Kentucky Derby |
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1883 |
Moses Walker signs with the Toledo Blue Stockings. |
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1884 |
The black jockey Isaac Murphy wins the first of three Kentucky Derbys.
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1884 |
Isaac Murphy wins the Kentucky Derby.
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1884 |
The Toledo Blue Stockings join the American Association, the first “major” professional baseball league. The Toledo catcher Moses Walker becomes first black major league player.
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1885 |
Enoch Henderson wins the Kentucky Derby |
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1885 |
Frank Johnson organizes the New York Cuban Giants, the first fully professional black team (players are paid a regular salary). The team name is designed to fool whites into thinking the players are Cuban, not African American. |
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1886 |
Frank Grant joins Buffalo's team in the International League. He plays there for three consecutive seasons. |
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1887 |
The League of Colored Baseball Clubs forms with teams from Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Louisville, New York, Norfolk (Virginia), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington.
Learn more
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1887 |
The International League bans teams from signing any new black players, but allows existing players, like Moses Walker and Frank Grant, to continue to play.
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1887 |
Isaac Lewis wins the Kentucky Derby |
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1888 |
The League of Colored Baseball Clubs holds it first Colored Championship of America, with the Cuban Giants coming in first place after a series of games among nine teams.
Learn more
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1888 |
Frank Grant leaves white professional baseball in the face of racial hostility and pressure to force all blacks from the leagues. Robert Higgins, who plays for Syracuse, also leaves white professional baseball.
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1888 |
The Amateur Athletic Union is organized, but does not allow black athletes to join. |
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1889 |
Syracuse of the International League releases Moses Fleetwood Walker, thus ending the presence of blacks in white professional baseball until 1946 when Jackie Robinson plays for Montreal, in the International League.
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1889 |
William Henry Lewis plays center for Amherst College and is considered the first black “All American” football star.
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1889 |
The Middle States or Pennsylvania League is formed by six black baseball teams. By the end of the year the league's name is changed to the Eastern Interstate League.
Learn more
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1890 |
George Jeweth stars for the University of Michigan football team. Arthur Jackson plays football at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Learn more
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1890 |
Isaac Murphy wins his second Kentucky Derby. |
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