For more than a century, the roots of baseball have been the topic of dispute and controversy. Baseball and other modern bat, ball, and running sports, such as stoolball, cricket, and rounders, evolved from folk games in early Britain, Ireland, and Continental Europe (such as France and Germany). It is not known who originally invented these games, but it is believed that stick-and-ball games similar to modern baseball were played by Native Americans long before English settlers arrived in North America. The first written reference to baseball comes from Massachusetts, where it was called "base-ball" in 1712. The term "baseball" first appears in print two years later in London, England, while the game then known as "base-ball" was being played there by British soldiers during their stay at the New England Military Academy. The Oxford English Dictionary states that "baseball" may have been derived from French baslebol or Belgian vrebellion, both meaning "to hit balls with sticks". In 1839, the first official game of baseball was played between Boston University and Harvard University. The next year, the National Association for the Promotion of Base-Ball was formed, which changed its name to the National League in 1876. The American League was founded in 1896, and today they compete together as partners of the Major League Baseball organization.