The Great American Game
1839 AD
1839 1839
74.55W42.43N
MISC

COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK
	It might seem dull to watch a game in which players never hit the ball, but any baseball fan will tell you that a pitcher who prevents any of the other team's players from getting a hit makes for an exciting day at the ballpark.
	Though it isn't certain, this favorite American game may have been invented in 1839 by Abner Doubleday of Cooperstown, New York, though there were similar games with bases played earlier, such as prison ball in France and rounders in England.
	While the exact origin of baseball is unknown, it was Alexander J. Cartwright who set down many of the rules for the game in 1845, including the distance between bases, foul lines, team sizes, etc.
	In addition, Cartwright started the New York Knickerbockers, the first baseball team.
	Baseball became popular among Civil War soldiers, and when the war was over, they spread the game throughout the country.