Why did tap dancing start?

The history of tap dancing can be traced back to at least the 17th century with roots in the British Isles and West Africa, brought to America by enslaved, indentured, and immigrant peoples through the centuries. This early form of dance featured percussive footwork and was sometimes accompanied by hand gestures and acrobatics. As dance styles developed and merged in America, tap dancing began to take on its own unique identity. African dances like buck-and-wing, ring shout and juba, Irish step dancing, and other European dances all contributed to the development of tap dance. During the 19th century, tap emerged as a popular style in vaudeville and minstrel shows, where performers combined rhythms from African and European roots with other dance forms like breakdancing and soft-shoe.