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Article: Track and Field
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
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TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK AND FIELD
athletics in the United States had multiple origins in the early-to mid-nineteenth century. British models were most influential. Scottish immigrants formed Caledonian Clubs in many American cities, and through these the tradition of Highland Games (also called Caledonian Games) brought track and field competition to the East Coast through the mid-1870s. Boston, for example, held its first Highland Games in 1842. In 1849 English long-distance runners demonstrated their sport to large American crowds.
Another important thread, older and harder to trace, is the Native American running and games traditions. One of the first American runners to compel ...