Abstract
My Independent Study looks back into the beginnings of American football and its development during the early years. The savage violence that led to many deaths, yet the sport continued to grow. Awfully close in many ways to being banned in states and the federal government but America’s game persevered. The connections between the media and the escape to violence will lead to the unification of men regardless of their socio-economic level. A perfect pairing with young college males looking for an escape this game blossoms on college campuses across the country. Using journals from the early heroes of football and media coverage during this period to understand how Americans reacted to this sport and its development from a savage game to a more sophisticated sport. Why is this violent sport so loved and why do people continue to play and support it knowing the danger? This project will find a deeper connection to how violence and the development of football coincide in American men at the turn of the 20th century in a college setting.
Advisor
Roche, Jeff
Department
History
Recommended Citation
Nadu, Kobe, "Gridiron Gladiators: Death and Violence in Early Years of College Football 1860s-1920s" (2024). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 10960.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/10960
Disciplines
Sports Studies
Keywords
football, gilded age, masculinity
Publication Date
2024
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2024 Kobe Nadu