Jackie Robinson
On January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia a legend was born; Jackie Robinson. No one knew that Jackie Robinson would be the first African-American to play Major League baseball, play with the Dodgers for a decade and lead them to a world series or retire with a career batting average of .311.
Jackie Robinson was the youngest of 5 children and raised in poverty with his single mother. As a kid he attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. While Jackie was at Pasadena Junior College he played and excelled in 4 sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. In 1938 Jackie was named the region’s most valuable player. Jackie got his inspiration from his older brother Matthew who got a silver medal in the 1936 Olympics finishing behind Jessie Owens. Jackie continued his education at U.C.L.A. in Los Angeles, California winning varsity letters in all four sports. From 1942 to 1944 he served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. During boot camp, Jackie was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus. His attitude toward segregation that day was a glimspe of the impact he would have on Major League Baseball.
After Jackie’s discharge from the army in 1944 he began to play baseball professionally. At the time, baseball was a segregated sport and the colored played in a different league than the white did. Jackie began playing in the Negro League when Rickey Branch, the president of the Dodgers, chose Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson soon joined the Montreal Royals in 1946, a farm team for the Dodgers, which was an all-white team. Rickey Branch knew the beginning of Jackie’s career would be difficult. Branch made Jackie promise not to fight back when confronted with racism. At the beginning of his career he was confronted with racism and even some of his teammates were racist towards him, yet he never fought back. People in the crowd would curse and throw stuff at
Jackie and there were times his family received threats. Despite abuse, mostly at away games, Jackie was an outstanding player for the Montreal Royals. He lead the international league with a .349 batting average and a .985 fielding percentage. As he progressed as a baseball player he was promoted to the Dodgers. On April 15, 1947 he played his first game in Ebbetts Field; breaking
the color barrier. On this day Jackie became the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Harassment only got worse and on occasion players threatened to sit out of games. The manager of the team, Leo Durocher, said he would trade any player on the team before he would trade Jackie. Jackie Robinson’s loyalty set the tone for the rest of his career with the Dodgers.
Throughout Jackie Robinson’s career he always was against segregation and racism. Jackie was quoted once saying “There’s not an American free in this country until every one of us is free.” If it was not for Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, sports and life would never be the same.
Jackie Robinson was the youngest of 5 children and raised in poverty with his single mother. As a kid he attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. While Jackie was at Pasadena Junior College he played and excelled in 4 sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. In 1938 Jackie was named the region’s most valuable player. Jackie got his inspiration from his older brother Matthew who got a silver medal in the 1936 Olympics finishing behind Jessie Owens. Jackie continued his education at U.C.L.A. in Los Angeles, California winning varsity letters in all four sports. From 1942 to 1944 he served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. During boot camp, Jackie was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus. His attitude toward segregation that day was a glimspe of the impact he would have on Major League Baseball.
After Jackie’s discharge from the army in 1944 he began to play baseball professionally. At the time, baseball was a segregated sport and the colored played in a different league than the white did. Jackie began playing in the Negro League when Rickey Branch, the president of the Dodgers, chose Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson soon joined the Montreal Royals in 1946, a farm team for the Dodgers, which was an all-white team. Rickey Branch knew the beginning of Jackie’s career would be difficult. Branch made Jackie promise not to fight back when confronted with racism. At the beginning of his career he was confronted with racism and even some of his teammates were racist towards him, yet he never fought back. People in the crowd would curse and throw stuff at
Jackie and there were times his family received threats. Despite abuse, mostly at away games, Jackie was an outstanding player for the Montreal Royals. He lead the international league with a .349 batting average and a .985 fielding percentage. As he progressed as a baseball player he was promoted to the Dodgers. On April 15, 1947 he played his first game in Ebbetts Field; breaking
the color barrier. On this day Jackie became the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Harassment only got worse and on occasion players threatened to sit out of games. The manager of the team, Leo Durocher, said he would trade any player on the team before he would trade Jackie. Jackie Robinson’s loyalty set the tone for the rest of his career with the Dodgers.
Throughout Jackie Robinson’s career he always was against segregation and racism. Jackie was quoted once saying “There’s not an American free in this country until every one of us is free.” If it was not for Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, sports and life would never be the same.
Jackie Robinson served as a second liuetenant in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1944.
Jackie Robinson was raised by his mom and 4 older children. The beggining of his life he lived in poverty.
Jackie Robinson Timeline
1919
This timeline starts on January 31, 1919 when Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia
1920
His mother decided to leave Georgia and moved to Pasadena, California where Jackie was raised
1937
He enrolled in Pasadena Junior College
1939
Robinson entered the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), lettering in four sports
1940
Jackie Robinson won the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, broad jump title
1941
He played professional football for the Honolulu Bears, a semi-professional football team
1942
Jackie Robinson was drafted into the Army
1943
Private Robinson was commissioned as a second lieutenant
1944
He was honourably discharged in November 1944 following an ankle injury
1945
Robinson begins baseball career with Kansas City Monarchs, a negro team and was then recruited by Branch Rickey to play for minor league Montreal Royals
1946
Robinson married Rachel Isum, a nursing student he had met at UCLA
1947
Jackie Robinson was brought to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first black on major league team. He suffered considerable racial abuse. The same year he was named 'Rookie of the Year' and featured on the cover of Time Magazine
1949
He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player
1956
Jackie Robinson was traded to the New York Giants, but decides to retire from Major League Baseball
1950's-1960's
He became a vocal supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
1962
Robinson was inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
1972
October 24, 1972: Jackie Robinson died of a heart attack (aged 53) in Stamford, Connecticut
This timeline starts on January 31, 1919 when Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia
1920
His mother decided to leave Georgia and moved to Pasadena, California where Jackie was raised
1937
He enrolled in Pasadena Junior College
1939
Robinson entered the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), lettering in four sports
1940
Jackie Robinson won the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, broad jump title
1941
He played professional football for the Honolulu Bears, a semi-professional football team
1942
Jackie Robinson was drafted into the Army
1943
Private Robinson was commissioned as a second lieutenant
1944
He was honourably discharged in November 1944 following an ankle injury
1945
Robinson begins baseball career with Kansas City Monarchs, a negro team and was then recruited by Branch Rickey to play for minor league Montreal Royals
1946
Robinson married Rachel Isum, a nursing student he had met at UCLA
1947
Jackie Robinson was brought to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first black on major league team. He suffered considerable racial abuse. The same year he was named 'Rookie of the Year' and featured on the cover of Time Magazine
1949
He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player
1956
Jackie Robinson was traded to the New York Giants, but decides to retire from Major League Baseball
1950's-1960's
He became a vocal supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
1962
Robinson was inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
1972
October 24, 1972: Jackie Robinson died of a heart attack (aged 53) in Stamford, Connecticut
Bibliography
"Jackie
Robinson Picture." Google Images.
Google, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
< http://www.google.com/imgres?q=jackie+robinson+pics&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4GGNI_enUS495US496&biw=1311&bih=593&tbm=isch&tbnid=N4MyuY8kKtmhxM:&imgrefurl=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/jrd/&docid=izo_7I01RKl8SM&imgurl=http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2007/04/11/ce5HsOlI.jpg&w=248&h=220&ei=ZfYGUfS4JcmwyQHv7oGwBA&zoom=1>.
This is a picture of Jackie Robinson before a game in his Dodgers
jersey.
"Jackie
Robinson Picture 1." Chexy
Decimal.com. Chexy Decimal, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
< http://chexydecimal.com/2012/02/friday-face-jackie-robinson/>. This is a
picture of Jackie Robinson when he was a second liuetenant in the U.S.
Army.
"Jackie
Robinson Picture 2." The Jackie Robinson
Foundation. Jackie Robinson Foundation, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
< http://www.jackierobinson.org/about/jackie.php>. This is a picture of
Jackie Robinson with his mom and siblings.
"Jackie
Robinson Timeline." Jackie Robinson
Timeline. History Timelines, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
< http://www.history-timelines.org.uk/people-timelines/22-jackie-robinson-timeline.htm>.
This is a picture of a timeline of the life of Jackie
Robinson.
Robinson Picture." Google Images.
Google, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
< http://www.google.com/imgres?q=jackie+robinson+pics&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4GGNI_enUS495US496&biw=1311&bih=593&tbm=isch&tbnid=N4MyuY8kKtmhxM:&imgrefurl=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/jrd/&docid=izo_7I01RKl8SM&imgurl=http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2007/04/11/ce5HsOlI.jpg&w=248&h=220&ei=ZfYGUfS4JcmwyQHv7oGwBA&zoom=1>.
This is a picture of Jackie Robinson before a game in his Dodgers
jersey.
"Jackie
Robinson Picture 1." Chexy
Decimal.com. Chexy Decimal, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
< http://chexydecimal.com/2012/02/friday-face-jackie-robinson/>. This is a
picture of Jackie Robinson when he was a second liuetenant in the U.S.
Army.
"Jackie
Robinson Picture 2." The Jackie Robinson
Foundation. Jackie Robinson Foundation, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
< http://www.jackierobinson.org/about/jackie.php>. This is a picture of
Jackie Robinson with his mom and siblings.
"Jackie
Robinson Timeline." Jackie Robinson
Timeline. History Timelines, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
< http://www.history-timelines.org.uk/people-timelines/22-jackie-robinson-timeline.htm>.
This is a picture of a timeline of the life of Jackie
Robinson.
Title Page and Process Paper
Breaking the Barrier: Jackie Robinson
Trey Whittaker
Junior Division
Individual
Website
The reason I chose this topic is because Jackie Robinson has always
interested me. I am a big baseball fan and Jackie Robinson is a big reason I
like baseball. Another reason I liked the topic of Jackie Robinson is because he
broke the color barrier. If it was not for Jackie Robinson than baseball, or any
sport, would not be the same because of all African American athletes the play
sports. The hall of fame would only consist of white athletes, and only white
athletes would compete in the Olympics. If it was not for Jackie Robinson sports
would not be the same.
I did my research based on what I was interested in learning about Jackie
Robinson. For primary sources, I found a website that had old letters and
documents Jackie Robinson wrote or was involved in. And for secondary sources I
researched biographies, facts, and timelines on Jackie Robinson. The research I
did was fun and educational.
I chose to do the online website as my type of project. The reason I
chose to do the website is because I am good on the computer. I have always
thought making a website would be fun and exciting and that is why I want to do
the online website.
My topic relates to the theme, turning point in history, because of
Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was always against segregation and wanted to
play major league baseball. So when he was given the chance to play he jumped on
it. Jackie Robinson was taunted, teased, mistreated, and abused during his
career, but ended up breaking the color barrier. If it was not for Jackie
Robinson breaking the color barrier, sports and life would never be the
same.