Although the myth persists that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839 in Cooperstown, New York, the game actually evolved from the English sport called "rounders" and was played in the colonies during the 18th century.
Credit for key changes to what was variously called "town ball," "four-old cat," and "base ball" belongs to Alexander Cartwright. In 1845, he suggested that runners be tagged with the ball rather than hit with it and that each team be limited to three outs. These rules led to modern baseball, which was on its way to becoming a national pastime by the Civil War.
