Introduction.

The fertile North American continent provided its inhabitants with much free time for recreation and leisure. Colonists had brought with them European games and sports such as bowling, football, cricket, quoits, and cards. Some of these activities, such as cricket and football, fell out of use as they did not require the kinds of skills the colonists needed in their everyday lives. Colonists continued to enjoy other sports as the century progressed. Hunting and fishing, which had been necessary to sustain life, became recreational activities, and shooting contests, which had been features of militia musters, became sporting activities in their own right.

Native American Sports.

Long before the Europeans arrived, Native Americans engaged in a variety of fierce athletic competitions. In addition to hunting, fishing, and war, native societies played games that helped develop their skills in these activities. The native men played a game the...