In 1835, with the banning of baiting, the breed was placed in jeopardy of extinction; however, while bull-baiting and bear-baiting laws were enforced, dog fighting flourished, so the bull-and-terrier lived on. Around 1860, the type split into two branches, increasingly standardised over time into distinct breeds: the pure white Bull Terrier and the coloured forms that lived on for another 70 years in the dog pit until they finally were recognized as a legitimate dog breed called the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Around the same time, many lower-class Irish and Englishmen were emigrating to America with their terrier–bulldog crossbreeds, including from both of those developing bloodlines. Over time, the descendants of these dogs became taller and heavier. Their masters opted for a dog that was both an aggressive warrior in the gambling dens of the cities and saloons but also was a working dog, its terrier and bulldog blood from Ireland and the UK proving to be very useful in farm work and in hunting. The breed was officially recognized as the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1898 and later its close kin the American Staffordshire Terrier in 1936.