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Why did Jackie Robinson play for the Montreal Royals in 1946?

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Negro league The 1935 roster of the Negro league team the Pittsburgh Crawfords, including Cool Papa Bell (seventh from right), Josh Gibson (fourth from right), and Satchel Paige (second from right).

Jackie Robinson played for the Montreal Royals, a minor league affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers, during the 1946 season as part of a deliberate strategy by Dodgers president Branch Rickey to integrate Major League Baseball.12

Rickey had been scouting for the right individual to break the sport's long-standing color barrier and selected Robinson for his athletic talent, integrity, and character. However, Rickey was deeply concerned about the intense racial hostility and abuse Robinson would inevitably face from fans and other players. By placing Robinson with the Montreal Royals for the 1946 season, Rickey provided him with a period of preparation for the pressures of the major leagues. This time also allowed Rickey to ensure that Robinson could withstand taunts and abuse without retaliating, a crucial requirement for the success of the integration effort.23