Student Question
Describe the rise of professional sports in America during the Gilded Age.
Quick answer:
The rise of professional sports in America during the Gilded Age was fueled by urbanization, which provided a large fan base in cities. Sports like baseball, college football, and boxing became lucrative industries. The spread of news via telegraph, newspapers, and magazines increased public interest, while railroads facilitated team travel, making sports a big business during this era.
Professional sports (as well as college sports which were then, as they are now, professional in many ways) came about largely because of the urbanization of the American population during the time known as the Gilded Age. Sports such as football (mostly college) and baseball (professional) joined sports such as boxing to become big business.
This was possible in part because there were so many people in the big cities. This made for a large fan base that could attend games. News about the games could be spread via telegraph and newspapers and magazines. This also helped to create interest in the games. The web of railroads made it relatively easy for teams to travel to play one another. For these reasons, sports became a big business during the Gilded Age.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.