Marshall "Major" Taylor: World Champion Bicyclist, 1899-191Decades before Jackie Robinson broke through the racial divide to play major league baseball, Marshall "Major" Taylor paved the way for African Americans in a different sport--track cycling. At the turn of the twentieth century, Taylor was the fastest bicycle racer in the whole world, winning races around the globe. Race organizers let him compete as he was an exciting athlete and drew the crowds. But as an African American, Taylor faced prejudice on and off the track that ranged from being excluded from hotels and restaurants to being doused with ice water to keep him from crossing the finish line. Yet Taylor persevered, winning three consecutive world championship titles. And at the time, his prize money and endorsement earnings made him one of the wealthiest African Americans in the United States. |
Contents
Authors Note | 6 |
Between Two Worlds | 8 |
The First Race | 18 |
Leaving Home For Good | 26 |
Turning Professional | 43 |
World Champion | 53 |
European Adventures | 64 |
Falling Star | 77 |
Timeline | 100 |
Bicycle Talk | 102 |
Sources For Quotations | 103 |
Seleced Bibliography | 105 |
To Learn More About Taylor Bicycling And His Times | 107 |
Places To Visit | 108 |
| 109 | |
About The AuthorPhoto Acknowledgments | 112 |
Common terms and phrases
African American ahead American Bicycle athlete Australia beat best riders bicycle racing bicycle store Boston career champ championship Chicago color Coquelle crowd cycling club cyclists Daisy Morris earned European fame fans Fastest Bicycle Rider finish line friends front gold medal Hay & Willits headlines Hearsey Ibid Indiana State Museum Indianapolis Jacquelin Jim Crow keep learned Madison Square Garden Major Taylor Marshall Major Marshall's Massachusetts membership mile mother moved Munger newspaper parents pedal professional racer race on Sunday racing star riding a bicycle Ritchie road race rode safety bicycles Schwinn Schwinn Bicycle Company scrapbook season seconds six-day six-day race Southards sprint Street Sydney Taylor finished Taylor lived Taylor never Taylor wrote TAYLOR'S STORY tires tour track tricks Velodrome Wabash Avenue YMCA wheel Worcester Daily Telegram world champion world records York Zig-Zag Club Zimmerman