There are a variety of reasons as to why a specialized culture is diffused into the general public. This article explores the background in which the development of American physical education took place. More specifically, it has as its main focus the shift of consciousness of the general population in United States. That is, to discover the decisive theory and scholarly thinking behind the development of physical education. The findings are as follows; Firstly, in the 19th century, considering the history of American sports from the point of a shift in human consciousness, biological thought was the first and foremost reason behind the development of sports. The first appearance of physical education in American schools was in the 1820s. However, it was short lived. It was, in fact in the 1930s that the public began to take a more active interest in healthy living and physical education became an integral part of schooling. The word `physical education` originated from this era. Therefore it would be pertinent to theorize that the background from which physical education developed was a society that took an interest in healthy living. However, the decisive factor that linked the interest in healthy living to the development of physical education was the general public s belief that exercising had positive physiological effects. In addition, those who dedicated their careers into making physical education a national curriculum in schools, in the 19th century and the early 20th century, were mostly MDs. Thus it can be concluded that biological thought was a decisive influence in the development of sports. Secondly, after analyzing American sports history from the point of view of a shift in consciousness, from the 1890s to the 1920s, a catalyst in the development of physical education was the theory of play`. Up until the 1890s, the physical education programs in American secondary schools were merely voluntary activities for students and the sports incorporated into the national curriculum physical fitness, gymnastic and physical training. However, after the theory of play entered the scene, it was noted that through sporting activities, youths could be transformed psychologically, socially and morally. As a result, the sports movement began to take shape in the United States. From this point of view the author notes that the theory of play from the psychological field served a pivotal role in speeding the development of American physical education.