Many of the sports and games played around the world today have their roots in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their history, detailed in Sports and Games of the 18th and 19th Centuries, provides us with an insight into the life and times of cultures across the globe. The dominance of Britain as a world power during this time had a particularly powerful effect in sports, as it organized many Western sports with specific rules, and repressed the traditional sports and games of regions it colonized such as Africa. Rules and equipment for all of the sports and games of this time period, along with diagrams, are included. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.