The Rebellious Origins of American Sports

The Rebellious Origins of American Sports

The sentry box at the royal governor’s residence in Boston was a too-inviting target for young Americans with an urge to kick, throw, or swing at something British. The regiments who occupied the city to enforce the Crown’s taxation were accustomed to dodging snowballs, oyster shells, and burning coals. Then, one January day in 1769, a gang of boys found a novel form of harassment: They launched an unruly game of “foot-ball” in the street facing the sentry box.