5 Questions
What was the Great Migration and when did it occur?
The Great Migration refers to the movement of 6 million African Americans from the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970.
What were the primary causes of the Great Migration?
The poor economic conditions for African American people, racial segregation, and discrimination in the Southern states where Jim Crow laws were upheld.
What role did lynchings play in motivating some of the migrants?
Lynchings motivated a portion of the migrants as African Americans searched for social reprieve.
Which cities did most of the migrants move to during the Great Migration?
The migrants primarily moved to the largest cities in the United States at that time, including New York City, Newark, NJ, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C.
What impact did the Great Migration have on the United States?
The migration brought historic change as African Americans established influential communities in the major cities, contributing to their cultural, social, political, and economic influence over the United States.
Study Notes
The Great Migration
- Between 1910 and 1970, approximately six million African Americans migrated from the rural South to the urban North and West.
- This massive internal migration was sparked by a combination of push and pull factors.
Causes of the Great Migration
- Push factors: racial segregation, discrimination, and violent racism, including lynchings, to escape the oppressive Jim Crow laws in the South.
- Pull factors: economic opportunities, better living conditions, and access to education and jobs in the industrialized North and West.
Lynchings as a Motivating Factor
- Widespread racial violence, including lynchings, further motivated many African Americans to leave the South, as they sought to escape the constant threat of violence and terror.
Destinations of the Great Migration
- Major cities like Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia attracted the largest numbers of migrants, who were drawn to the industrial jobs and higher wages offered in these cities.
Impact of the Great Migration
- The Great Migration transformed the demographics and culture of the United States, contributing to the growth of urban African American communities and the development of a more diverse society.
- It also led to the emergence of new cultural and artistic movements, such as jazz and blues music, and the Harlem Renaissance.
- The migration played a significant role in shaping the country's social, economic, and political landscape.
The Great Migration: Test Your Knowledge on the Movement of African Americans in the 20th Century
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