Jackie Robinson's most famous contribution to history was becoming the first African American to play Major League Baseball. In 1947, he broke the "color barrier" and was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. He initiated the integration movement in Major League Baseball, although it was certainly a slower process than he would have liked.
It is important to note that he was not only the first African American to play in the majors; he was also extremely talented. In fact, he is considered one of the greatest professional baseball players of all time. His 42 jersey number has been retired by all MLB teams. He won the MVP in 1949 and was elected to the baseball hall of fame in 1962.
Later in his career, he became more outspoken against segregation in the sport. He lobbied for the MLB to penalize southern teams who still practiced segregation. He also became more involved in other areas outside of baseball. Robinson became a member of the NAACP and consistently championed boycotting areas of segregation to impose economic punishments.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/jackie-robinson
Jackie Robinson's primary contribution to American history is leading the integration of Major League Baseball when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
He started his career as a second baseman with the Negro Leagues team the Kansas City Monarchs. He was then approached by the Brooklyn Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, who wanted to integrate baseball. Robinson was eased into the Majors, starting with the Montreal Royals, "the Dodgers' top farm team," in 1946 and securing his promotion to the Dodgers by establishing a leading record with the International League.
Robinson was unwanted initially by both audiences and his teammates. However, he was passionate about civil rights—while in the army, he was court-martialed for refusing to move to the back of a bus—and knew that his unique position would pave the way for other black players and it did.
Later in life, Robinson became active in politics. Unlike many black people at the time, he was a registered Republican and campaigned for Richard Nixon in 1960. He was disappointed, however, by Nixon's lack of commitment to civil rights.
https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/robinson-jackie
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