The
American League (or formally the
American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up
Major League Baseball in the
United States of America. It developed from a minor league, the
Western League, that aspired to
major league[?] status, was formed on
February 2,
1900, expanded in
1900-
1901 into major cities, and changed its name.
The older
National League at first refused to recognize the new league and it was only after much contention that an agreement (the
National Agreement) was signed that produced an acceptance of each league by the other as an equal partner in major league baseball.
Several other sports have had leagues called "American League", usually with the sport name as a qualifier, such as the "American Football League" (which eventually merged with the National Football League, adopting the latter's name for the combination).