The Formation of the American League in Baseball; Changes in American Society and Culture that Contributed to the Demand for More Baseball in the Late 19th Century

Authors

Shawn M. Smith, Liberty UniversityFollow

Abstract

The second professional major league (the American League) in baseball came about in response to the demand for more baseball entertainment due to the increased amount of leisure time Americans had in the late-19th century as society started the shift from an agricultural based lifestyle to a culture who worked predominantly in factory work.

The culture and society of the day changed drastically due to changing economic conditions of the time period. Due to monumental changes in industry, the vast majority of the population had shifted from working in an agrarian society to working in factories as a result of industrialization. This led to massive growth in urbanization as the population moved from rural areas to large cities. After this shift to factory work, labor unions began to emerge and demand reduced working hours, increased pay, and safer working conditions. In receiving these concessions from management, workers now found themselves with more leisure time and more disposable income on their hands. Baseball was the most popular form of leisure at this time and the demand for more of it became an inevitability that led to the formation of a second professional major league baseball organization which was the American League.

Recommended Citation

Smith, Shawn M. (2025) "The Formation of the American League in Baseball; Changes in American Society and Culture that Contributed to the Demand for More Baseball in the Late 19th Century," Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History: Vol. 7: Iss. 2, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70623/DCJZ8284
Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol7/iss2/3