Following the Civil War, people expected many things to change across America, especially race relations. Reconstruction policies were designed to help the newly freed slaves adapt to their new lives and to help America adjust to changes in the North and the South. For example, the Freedman's Bureau was created to help with education and jobs for the freedmen. All aspects of life would be affected by these changes, including sports and entertainment. The fastest growing sport of the day was baseball, now spreading across the country. As baseball grew in popularity it did not discriminate. It became important in all elements of society, with African Americans adopting the game like everyone else. With the success of the Pythians, the first black baseball club, in the late 1860s, the stage was set for baseball to become an important form of entertainment for African Americans.

America's national pastime spread during the war and became a professional sport in 1869 when the Cincinnati Red Stockings paid all their players and had a perfect season. The Red Stockings' success led other clubs to move into the professional realm and this created a need for increased organization. The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players provided rules and regulations but also posed the question of who would be able to play on the member clubs. Would African American ballplayers be accepted or not? From the 1880s until 1947 the answer was no, until Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers changed existing practice and opened the doors to the majors for African American players.