Migration * Flashcards
Summarise the first and second great migrations?
First Great Migration 1910-40
Movement from Louisiana,Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee to Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington DC.
Gary NY saw a 16% increase in the black population.
Second Great Migration
1940-70, migration towards North East, with Newark NK having 10.6% in 1940 black population to 54.2% by 1970.
Why did people migrate North?
During the Reconstruction era, sharecropping was common for slaves in the South but they quickly ended up in debt, being confused by financial settlements. Others hired out their labour, but did not earn much. Even before the end of Civil War, there was movement to New Orleans. Black citizens move to cities, the skilled found jobs, the unskilled left to menial positions which were low paid. Racism in the South between 1890-1920, alongside the boll weevil devastating cotton crops, ruining black farmers. 1915 floods in Alabama and Mississppi ruined farm land. Chronic poverty was the push, and better jobs in the North the pull. Between 1916-20 half a million black citizens left the South.
What did WEB Du Bois note in 1902?
WEB Du Bois found in Memphis stationary engineers had wage gaps. Whites could earn $3.00-$4.50 per day, while blacks earned $2-2.50. Of 1,200,000 in trade unions, only 40,000 were black, with many unions barring black members or insisting segregation.
Between 1910-30 how many migrated?
After Reconstruction African Americans migrated to NYC and Philadelphia but 500,000 moved North to take unskilled jobs when European immigration declined between 1910-20, and 750,000 moved North the following decade. Railroad routes to NYC, Philadelphia, and Chicago were preferred but Washington DC and southern cities also had an influx.
What changes in black population were there between 1916-70?
6 million moved between 1916-70. Blacks left by train, boat, or bus. Between 1910-20, the black Northern populations swelled (NY – 66%, Chicago – 148%, Philadelphia – 500%). Blacks created their own communities, with Harlem in NYC housing 200,000 African Americans.
In 1910, 89% of blacks lived in the South. By 1970 this was 53%.
When did the US enter war?
In 1917 the US entered the war. Wages rose by 25% between 1914-17 and arms, ammunition, and food had booms in production. Wilson’s decision to enter the war had mixed responses. The Espionage Act was passed to limit criticisms of government during war, and the Selective Service Act which conscripted 4 million men.
What were Wilson’s stances on Civil Rights?
President Wilson supported segregation in the South and rejected efforts of Booker T Washington to promote black people in the civil service. He began to remove black people from government positions.
How did the war exacerbate tensions?
African and Native Americans fought in the US army and performed well in France, treated as better citizens, and became demanding of better treatment.
White people found their jobs were taken, leading to hostility and violence on their return.
African Americans gained voting rights and entered city councils. Alongside this, there was an increase in black newspapers.
European-American and German-American suspicion was heightened during the war, with German business boycotted. Alongside this, prohibition in 1919 gained support.
Italian-Americans criticised the war and anarchist organisations which had organised strikes for better wages now criticised the war, though the Espionage and Sedition acts made this difficult.
What were the 1919 Chicago race riots?
White people found their jobs were taken, leading to hostility and violence on their return. In summer 1919, Chicago’s population of black citizens rose by 50,000 and a black teenage boy drifted to a white’s only beach where he was stoned to death. Irish and Polish workers attacked the black city ghettoes for 13 days, leaving 23 black people and 15 white people dead, and 1000, mostly black, homeless. (Chicago Race Riots)
