4.1 Causes and patterns of the Great Migration

The Great Migration refers to the mass movement of over six million African Americans from the rural Southern United States to urban areas in the North and West from around 1916 to 1970. This migration was driven by a search for better economic opportunities and escape from the oppressive conditions of the South, which included systemic racism, disenfranchisement, and violent reprisals.

Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enacted in the Southern United States that enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans after the Reconstruction era.

Urbanization: The process by which an increasing percentage of a population comes to live in urban areas, often associated with migration from rural settings.

Harlem Renaissance: A cultural movement in the 1920s that celebrated African American cultural expressions through literature, art, and music, largely fueled by the influx of Black migrants to cities like New York.

Economic opportunities refer to the chances or prospects available to individuals or groups to improve their financial situation through employment, entrepreneurship, or access to resources. This concept is crucial for understanding movements and shifts within populations, particularly in how people seek better lives and livelihoods in response to challenging circumstances.

Great Migration: The movement of over six million African Americans from the rural Southern United States to urban areas in the North and West from around 1916 to 1970, driven largely by the search for better economic opportunities.

Labor Market: The arena in which employers seek to hire employees and job seekers look for work, significantly influencing the availability of economic opportunities.

Economic Disparity: The unequal distribution of wealth and income within a population, which can limit economic opportunities for certain groups.

Racial violence refers to acts of aggression and harm directed at individuals or groups based on their race or ethnicity, often resulting in physical injury or death. This term encompasses a range of violent acts, including lynching, mob violence, and systemic oppression, which have historically targeted African Americans in the United States, shaping their social and political landscapes. The legacy of racial violence not only reflects the deep-seated racism in society but also prompts various forms of resistance and activism aimed at combating such injustices.

Lynching: A form of extrajudicial punishment where a mob kills someone, often by hanging, without a legal trial, primarily targeting African Americans during the Jim Crow era.

Civil Rights Movement: A social movement aimed at ending racial discrimination and securing equal rights for African Americans, gaining momentum particularly in the 1950s and 1960s.

Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States from the late 19th century until the Civil Rights Movement.

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s, characterized by a flourishing of African American art, literature, music, and intellectual thought. It served as a powerful response to the systemic racism and disenfranchisement faced by African Americans, fostering a sense of racial pride and identity while significantly influencing American culture.

New Negro Movement: A cultural movement emphasizing racial pride and the rejection of stereotypes, closely associated with the Harlem Renaissance and promoting African American art and literature.

Jazz Age: A term used to describe the cultural era in the 1920s marked by the popularity of jazz music and dance, which was heavily influenced by the contributions of African American musicians during the Harlem Renaissance.

Langston Hughes: An influential poet, social activist, and playwright who was a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, known for his insightful and powerful exploration of African American life.

The boll weevil infestation refers to a severe agricultural crisis caused by the arrival of the boll weevil, a small beetle that attacks cotton plants, particularly in the southern United States. This pest decimated cotton crops starting in the late 19th century, leading to significant economic hardship for farmers and prompting many African Americans to seek better opportunities in urban areas, marking a pivotal moment in the Great Migration.

Great Migration: The movement of over six million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West between 1916 and 1970, driven by economic opportunities and escape from racial oppression.

Cotton Economy: The economic system in the South based primarily on cotton cultivation and dependent on slave labor before the Civil War and sharecropping afterwards.

Sharecropping: A system of agriculture where farmers work land owned by someone else in exchange for a share of the crops produced, often resulting in cycles of debt and poverty.

Mechanization refers to the process of using machinery to perform tasks that were previously done by hand, which significantly increases efficiency and productivity. This transformation was particularly prominent in agricultural practices and manufacturing during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fundamentally altering labor dynamics and contributing to economic shifts.

Industrial Revolution: A period of rapid industrial growth and technological innovation that began in the late 18th century, leading to significant changes in production methods, including the adoption of mechanization.

Agricultural Revolution: A period of significant agricultural development marked by new farming techniques and tools, which increased crop yields and efficiency, often facilitated by mechanization.

Labor Migration: The movement of workers from one region to another in search of better employment opportunities, often influenced by changes in labor demands due to mechanization.

World War I was a global conflict that lasted from 1914 to 1918, involving many of the world's great powers divided into two opposing alliances: the Allies and the Central Powers. This war had a profound impact on society, including significant demographic changes and cultural movements, especially among African Americans as they sought new opportunities and expressed their identities during this tumultuous period.

Great Migration: The movement of over six million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West between 1916 and 1970, driven by factors like job opportunities and escaping racial discrimination.

Harlem Renaissance: A cultural movement during the 1920s that celebrated African American culture through literature, art, and music, emerging in Harlem, New York as a response to the social changes brought by World War I.

Treaty of Versailles: The peace treaty that officially ended World War I in 1919, imposing heavy reparations on Germany and reshaping national boundaries, which had lasting effects on international relations.

Jim Crow laws were state and local statutes enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the Southern United States. These laws created a system of institutionalized racism, shaping various aspects of daily life, including education, transportation, and public accommodations.

Segregation: The enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment, often manifesting in schools, public spaces, and housing.

Plessy v. Ferguson: A landmark Supreme Court case from 1896 that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the doctrine of 'separate but equal.'

Civil Rights Movement: A social and political movement during the 1950s and 1960s aimed at ending racial discrimination and securing equal rights for African Americans.

Lynchings refer to extrajudicial killings, often by a mob, typically targeting African Americans in the United States from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. These brutal acts were used as a method of racial terror to enforce white supremacy and maintain social control, reflecting deep-seated racism and the failures of the legal system to protect Black lives. Lynchings were often public spectacles, intended to instill fear within African American communities and discourage any form of resistance or civil rights activism.

Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enacted in the Southern United States that enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised Black Americans after the Reconstruction era.

NAACP: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, an organization founded in 1909 that aimed to combat racial discrimination and promote civil rights for African Americans.

Great Migration: The movement of over six million African Americans from the rural Southern United States to urban areas in the North and West between 1916 and 1970, largely driven by a search for better economic opportunities and an escape from racial violence.

Disenfranchisement refers to the systematic denial of the right to vote or participate in political processes, primarily targeting marginalized groups. This practice has historically been used to suppress the political power of African Americans and other minority communities, often through legal barriers, intimidation, and discriminatory laws. The impact of disenfranchisement has been profound, affecting not only individuals' voting rights but also their social and economic opportunities.

Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enacted in the Southern United States that enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans from the late 19th century through the 1960s.

Voting Rights Act of 1965: A landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans, effectively addressing issues of disenfranchisement.

Poll Taxes: Fees that were required to be paid in order to vote, which were used as a means to disenfranchise poor and minority voters, particularly in Southern states.

The first great migration refers to the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West between 1916 and 1970, driven by various economic, social, and political factors. This migration was marked by a significant demographic shift as millions sought better opportunities and living conditions, resulting in profound impacts on American society, culture, and demographics.

Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States, which created oppressive conditions for African Americans and contributed to their migration.

Harlem Renaissance: A cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem during the 1920s, showcasing the contributions of African Americans and influencing culture nationally as a result of migration.

Great Depression: An economic downturn during the 1930s that impacted employment opportunities, leading to further shifts in migration patterns as African Americans sought jobs in industrial cities.

The Second Great Migration refers to the mass movement of over five million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West between 1941 and 1970. This migration was a response to systemic racism, economic opportunities, and the search for a better quality of life, leading to significant demographic changes in the U.S. and influencing social, political, and cultural dynamics.

Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States, creating an oppressive environment for African Americans.

Urbanization: The process by which cities grow as people move from rural areas to urban centers, often leading to significant social and economic changes.

Civil Rights Movement: A social and political movement aimed at ending racial discrimination and securing legal recognition and federal protection of the citizenship rights of African Americans.

Redlining is a discriminatory practice that involves denying services, typically housing loans, to residents of certain areas based on their racial or ethnic composition. This practice created and reinforced residential segregation and systemic inequalities, impacting various aspects of life for marginalized communities.

Urban Renewal: A program aimed at revitalizing urban areas, often resulting in the displacement of low-income and minority residents in favor of more affluent developments.

Suburbanization: The process of population movement from urban areas to suburbs, which was often facilitated by discriminatory practices like redlining that pushed minorities into less desirable neighborhoods.

Discrimination in Housing: The unequal treatment of individuals or groups in the housing market based on race, ethnicity, or other factors, contributing to systemic inequalities.

Race riots are violent disturbances that occur when tensions between different racial or ethnic groups explode into conflict, often driven by systemic racism, social injustice, and economic inequality. These riots typically involve mob violence, property destruction, and confrontations with law enforcement, reflecting deep-rooted societal issues. They have played a significant role in shaping urban landscapes and community dynamics throughout history.

Red Summer: A term used to describe the wave of racial violence and riots that swept across the United States in the summer and fall of 1919, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.

Civil Rights Movement: A social movement during the 1950s and 1960s aimed at ending racial discrimination and promoting equal rights for African Americans in the United States.

Urbanization: The process by which cities grow and populations shift from rural to urban areas, often leading to increased competition for jobs and housing among diverse racial and ethnic groups.

Oscar DePriest was the first African American elected to the U.S. Congress from the northern states, representing Illinois's 1st congressional district from 1929 to 1935. His election marked a significant moment in American history, as it symbolized the political empowerment of African Americans during the Great Migration, a time when many Black individuals moved northward in search of better opportunities and rights.

Great Migration: The mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North between 1916 and 1970, driven by economic opportunities and escape from Jim Crow laws.

New Deal: A series of programs and reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression, which aimed to provide economic relief, recovery, and reform.

Harlem Renaissance: A cultural, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s, reflecting a newfound racial pride and cultural identity among African Americans.

Chicago Blues is a genre of music that developed in Chicago in the 1950s, characterized by its use of electric instruments, urban themes, and a distinct sound that evolved from earlier forms of blues. This style emerged as African American migrants moved to Chicago during the Great Migration, bringing their musical traditions with them and transforming the city's cultural landscape.

Delta Blues: A style of blues music that originated in the Mississippi Delta, known for its acoustic sound and emotional, often melancholic themes.

Great Migration: The mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North between 1916 and 1970, seeking better economic opportunities and escaping racial discrimination.

Electric Guitar: An instrument that became central to the sound of Chicago Blues, allowing for louder performances and greater expression through amplification.