LR: detroit Flashcards
Where is Detroit located?
In Michigan, North East US on the Canadian border
What is heavy industry?
Industry that involves one or more characteristics of large and heavy equipment or facilities, or complex and numerous processes
What was the ‘Steel Belt’?
A belt of the North East US where established water ways, roads and rail roads connected coal fields and rich iron ores to produce much of Americas steel products
Why did Detroits location make it key to the steel belt?
The Appalachian coalfields were to the south and Michigan’s upper peninsula has rich iron ore, so resources were easily available
What were the ‘3 giants’ in Detroit?
Ford
General Motors
Chrysler
What did Detroit become famous for within the steel belt?
Cars
How did Henry Ford change industrial processes?
he invented the production line in 1913
What happened after the Great Depression?
People moved North to find work
How many people did Ford employ when it first opened?
50,000
Why were ford jobs so attractive?
They paid well and allowed workers to afford the cars they were building
How did Detroits population change between 1820 and 1920?
It grew from 1000 to 1,000,000 and the % of white people stayed roughly constant
How did Detroits population change between 1930 and 2010?
It shrank from 1,800,000 to 700,000, and from 92% white to 83% black
When did the population peak?
Around 1950
When were the Great Migrations?
Between 1910 and 1980
Why did many black residents move to Detroit from the south?
To escape racial segregation laws and to find jobs
How much of Detroit is suburbs?
90%
Why is so much of Detroit made up of suburbs? (6)
Construction of interstate highways
High taxes and house prices in the city
Racial tension in the city
White flight
Cars become more accessible for travel
businesses moved out of Detroit
What were some of the forces of change in Detroit/
Globalisation
TNCs
International Institutions
How did oil prices cause decline in the city?
As the oil crisis hit in 1956, prices QUADRUPLED and people were put of buying and running cars, so the automotive industry suffered
How did TNCs cause decline in Detroit?
They provided competition as other manufacturers produced similar products at cheaper prices, forcing companies in Detroit to look elsewhere for cheaper labour
How did the number of automotive firms in Detroit change in the years of the oil crisis/
fell from 3400 to 2300
When did Detroit declare bankruptcy?
2013
How do wages in Detroit today compare to the US as a whole?
They are $2.12 an hour LOWER for skilled workers
How does overall education attainment compare to other states today? q
Much lower
What tax. Laws were passed in 2012?.
To lower income tax rates to lowest in Midwest, tries to attract people
How much of the city is empty/ derelict?
50%
what are the top employers in Detroit today? (3)
Trade, transportation and utilities
Professional and business services
manufacturing
What is an enclave/
Areas within a city where people of a certain culture come together - a characteristic pf migration
Which cities did African-Americans move to in the migration?
detroit
Chicago
NYC
How many people had resettles in manufacturing areas by 1929/
1.5 million
When was the second wave of migration?
1940s
When more people were required for work for the war effort
How many people had resettled by the end pf the second migration?
5.9 Million
How many Black residents moved away from Detroit from 2000-2010?
185,000
Why did some black rwesidents move away from Detroit in the 2000?
Mostly skilled people, moved up to the more ‘middle class’
How does Detroit white population percentage compare to the rest of Michigan?
10% VS 77%
What is Motown?
A record label signing mostly black artists in Detroit which changed the sound of America
What was Detroit known as/
‘Motor City’
Who founded Motown?
BERRY GORDY
How did Gordy’s experience open production lines impact the running of the record label/
He introduced quality control to ensure only the best music was released
How di Motown break down racial segregation?
It provided music that was enjoyed by all people, broke down the black music stereotype
Why did the average income in Detroit fall?
because white people left, who had most of the wealth, more black people generally worked low payed service jobs
Wherew were black people allowed to live/
The Brewster housing developments
WHo were the migrants that moved to Detroit in the 40s?
Poor white southerners and black people
What happened at the Packard Motor Company in June 1943?
Three black people were promoted to work alongside the whites and in response 25,000 white workers went on strike
What started the 1943 race riot?
Fights between black and white youths in the Belle Isle
Who was the 1943 riot primarily enacted by?
Black residents
What were the primary root causes of the 1943 riot?
Police abuse, economic inequality, changing demographics, lack of affordable housing
What triggered the start of the 1967 race riot?
A police raid on an unlicensed drinking bar in a black neighbourhood
How many were arrested at the bar raid?
82
What was the 1967 race riot known as?
The 12th street riot
How did the governor and president react to the rioting?
By sending in thousands of National Guard troops and patroopers
What event occured during the 12th street riot?
The Algiers Motel Incident
What sparked the Algiers Motel Incident?
A black resident shot a toy gun from the window towards the army and police, and a raid was carried out
What did interrogation of ther black residents involved?
Mocking killings of the others
What did interrogation of the black residents involve?
Mocking killings of the others
Who were the suspects after the Motel incident?
Black males, no white police officers
How many people were employed in the automotive sector at its peak?
350,000
What is the 8 mile road?
A road spanning more than 20 miles across Detroit with 8 lanes of traffic, separates Wayne & Washtenaw countries
What does the 8 mile road act as?
A physically dividing line between predominantly African American and White areas
What is depicted in the film ‘8 mile’?
Eminem plays a fictionalised version himself growing up in Detroit around the area and segregation of the 8 mile road
What was the film ‘Detroit’ based on?
The Algiers Motel Incident
Where did Detroit poorest residents live?
In central, downtown Detroit
How many Detroits property owners do not pay tax?
Over half
What percentage of Detroit’s population is below the poverty line?
36%
Detroit the highest unemployment rate out of…
The 50 largest cities in the US
What percentage of street lights don’t work?
40%
Average police response time (including priority calls) is…
58 minutes (1 hour)
How many crimes go unsolved in Detroit?
7 out of 10 (70%)
How much larger is Detroit’s murder rate compared to NYC?
10 times
What crimes are high in Detroit?
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Aggravated Assault
