Orgin

 The American Staffordshire can be traced with reasonable certainty to late 18th Century England.  Bull Baiting, a variety of other baiting sports, and dog fighting were all common pastimes.  In an effort to produce ever more efficient fighting machines.  

  Numerous crosses between bulldogs and working terriers were carried out over a period of several decades. The products of these crosses as early as 1806 bear a striking resemblance to today's American Staffordshire Terrier.  Keep in mind that breeds as we know them today did not exist until well into the 19th century.

  Bulldogs pictured in "The Sporting Magazine" from 1798 to 1824 also resemble today's American Staffordshire Terrier far more closely than the modern Bulldog.  In 1835 with the passage of Cruelty to Animals Acts, Baiting, Dog Fighting and other blood sports were driven underground.

  About 1860, the white Bull Terrier emerged as a distinct off shoot of the basic Bull-and-Terrier.  The originator of this cousin of our American Staffordshire Terrier was James Hinks.  James Hinks bred the white Bull Terrier using a combination of bull and white terrier and Dalmatian, white English Terrier.  Hinks had success in the pit with this "White Cavalier".  There is no hard evidence however that the Bull Terrier has been used for that purpose more than occasionally since the mid-19th century.  In the early 1900's the colored Bull Terrier was developed by crossing the white Bull Terrier back to the Pit Bull.

  Many dog were brought to this country before 1860.  For example, the great dog Spring was imported by McCaffrey in 1857. Abut 1880, "Cockney" Charlie Floy imported Paddy and Pilot.  Both destined to win fame in the fighting pits of the Northeast.

  In 1898 the United Kennel Club was founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by C. Bennett for the purpose of registering the American Pit Bull Terrier.  Owned by such famous persons as John L. Sullivan and Theodore Roosevelt, making the breed one of the most popular dogs during the first quarter of the Century.  

 "Pete" the famous dog with the ring around his eye of the "Our Gang Comedies" was the first staff registered by the American Kennel Club in 1936.  The American Pit Bull Terrier Club, founded in 1921 in Clay Center, Kansas, published a standard from which our present day standard is derived.

  It should be noted that while the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Bull Terrier was being developed in this country, the English continued to develop their version of the Pit Bull.  This dog distinctively smaller and some what different type, was recognized in 1935 by the British Kennel Club under the name Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

MODERN HISTORY

  By 1930 a number of fanciers of the American Pit Bull Terrier began to work toward American Kennel club recognition.  The man most responsible for achieving recognition was Wilfred T. Brandon. The original petition was under the name "American Bull Terrier" was denied, at least in part.
  At this time, Captain Will Judy, publisher of "Dog World" magazine proposed the name "Yankee Terrier" this was also denied.  A compromise was therefore reached and the breed recognized in 1936 as the Staffordshire Terrier.  The final step in this long evolution of names occurred in the early 1970's as a result of the coming recognition by AKC of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Thus the name AKC offered "American Staffordshire Terrier" as the final designation of the breed.