During the 19th century, the name of America’s National Pastime was always written as two distinct words: base ball. By the 20th century, they had been combined, but that was the least of the changes in the world of baseball. How did the sport begin? Was there a father of baseball or did it evolve gradually? How did it spread beyond New York and become truly national in scope? What was the impact of the Civil War upon the growth of baseball? How did an amateur sport become a professionalism endeavor? Who were the African-American players who preceded Jackie Robinson by more than a half-century? This course traces the origin of baseball and its growth and evolution through the end of the 19th century, from a loosely-organized pastime to a multi-million dollar commercial endeavor.