Showing results by narrator "Andrew Matthews" in All Categories

The history of sports is also the history of power, politics and progress. From ancient origins to groundbreaking firsts, sometimes sports are history. It has been with us through every historical period - from the indigenous tribes of premodern America, through colonial societies, to the modern era of today. The study of sports has become an examination of how women, minorities, and ethnic and religious groups have influenced the American experience and how historical factors, such as gender, ethnicity, race, and religion, provide a more complete understanding of our common identity.

Three journeys. One road. England, 1348. A gentlewoman flees an odious arranged marriage, a Scots proctor sets out for Avignon and a young ploughman in search of freedom is on his way to volunteer with a company of archers. All come together on the road to Calais. Coming in their direction from across the Channel is the Black Death, the plague that will wipe out half of the population of Northern Europe.

How much has American society changed since the 1960s? And how do you gauge the extent of this change? In this lecture session, we will try to answer these questions by exploring a few of the more significant and pivotal moments in American history through the prism of sports. We will look beyond competitive outcomes on the fields of play - who won, who lost, and by how much? - and instead will focus on what these moments can reveal about the struggles for racial justice and gender equality in our nation.