Chicago Sports: Creating an American Team September 21, 2006

As Chicago grew in the 19th century, sports and athletics became increasingly important to Chicagoans. Immigrants brought their favorite team sports to the Midwest, such as soccer, but they also learned "American" sports, like baseball and football, as part of the Americanization process considered essential by social reformers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Likewise, American-born migrants settled in Chicago and established independent teams that reflected their own identities. This exhibition traces the history of amateur sports in the Windy City, a tradition that is still very active today.