Great Migration

Great Migration (definition)

Movement of Af Ams from South to the North & Midwest & West for factory jobs (1915 - 1970)

Great Retreat (definition)

The withdraw of Am Ams from thousands of smaller towns across USA to segregated neighborhoods in Northern cities

Why a need for factory jobs?

High demand for US manufactured products in Europe

Why weren’t Euros around to work in factories?

WW1 - no immigration - fewer young men b/c of the war

What happened in Great Retreat?

Af Ams were being violently expelled from 1000s of small towns across the USA

Where did Af Ams go

Af Ams retreat to the cities for safety

T o F; Historians usually focus on the GM

True

What was strange about GM

Af Ams were CHOOSING to move to the cities, and all other immigrant groups moved to both cities & small towns

When did Af Ams stop moving to cities?

Stopped after the Nadir (1890) - many small towns prohibited Af Ams

Why do Historians say racism / segregation toward Af Ams in cities happened bc of GM (1915)

BC Af Ams threatened wh am jobs, strained city services, & upset the cultural balance

Did racism toward Af Ams in cities happen or Nadir & expulsion of Af Ams from small towns happen first?

The Nadir & the expulsion of Af Ams from small towns happened first - which discredits the claim that racism towards Af Ams in cities was caused by great migration

Why were Af Ams pushed out of cities?

Northern Wh Ams were already primed by increasing racism of the Nadir to segregate Af Am newcomers in 1915