Jackie Robinson Research Papers

Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player to play at the professional level, he was fearless, courageous, willful and strong. He was an advocate for civil rights, as well as a great baseball player. He had to try to keep quiet, and keep to himself while playing, but became a stronger and more extreme advocate over time. A leader on and off the fields dealing with much more than just baseball, he also had to deal with the criticism and racial tensions of a prominently white game. Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was a showman who knew how to make money and fame in baseball “he had made a fortune for the cardinals as well as himself, and black talent could argument his bottom line by transforming his struggling dodgers

Jackie Robinson was chosen to play on the Brooklyn Dodgers, signing his contract on April 10, 1947. Being the first African American to play in the major leagues since the 1880s. Branch Rickey wanted him to be the man who would erase the national pastimes color line. He knew Jackie was strong enough to compete, and also “strong enough to have the courage to not fight back” (Zeiler, 38). He knew there were maybe some other African American candidates that would have been even better ball players, but picked Jackie, knowing he would do marvelous things on and off the field. He started playing for the Royals, the minor league team of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In his opening debut, Jackie stepped up. He performed brilliantly, getting four hits in five plate appearances. This got the black press ecstatic giving nationwide publicity to Jackie, and owner Branch Ricky. Jackie was then named most valuable player of the minor league that year. Even with all these accolades he faced hostility everywhere he went. He could not even play in southern games due to violence and threats. He stayed strong and persevered in the name of baseball, and civil rights.

he soared in the game of baseball, and is in the hall of fame. His legacy lives on in many Americans hearts and in baseball. A strong man on and off the field. A courageous man to break down the color barrier, and to continue it after his days in sports were over. Fearless in a way he would never give up on baseball or his passion to see African Americans succeed, in a time where blacks were pushed from away from prosperity and success. The owner of the dodgers Branch Rickey, also contributed to the movement. Without him much of how we see the history, and baseball today might not be the same. He chose Jackie and started an uprising in blacks in baseball. The name Jackie Robinson won’t be soon forgotten, and he marks a big change in American history. Fighting for the game of baseball, and fighting for what he believed