Old World.

Sports which resulted in the death or injury of animals were part, of European recreational life. Bulls, badgers, and bears were tethered so they could not escape and then set upon by dogs. Men on horseback chased foxes with the aid of dogs who tore the foxes apart once the animals were caught. In Spain unarmed men ran in the streets with bulls, and in the end the animals were slaughtered.

Animal Baits.

Europeans brought many of their blood sports with them. Bull baits apparently were confined to the New England and Middle Colonies. Bull baiting was one of the sports that taverns sponsored since it was relatively easy to clear a space for the bull and the dogs. These contests, which catered to the lower classes, took place in the evening hours when workingmen and apprentices could get away from their...