The Great Migration

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What was the Great Migration?

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The relocation of more than 6 million Black Americans from the rural South to the cities of the North, Midwest, and West from about 1916 to 1970.

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What caused the Great Migration?

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Unsatisfactory economic opportunities and harsh segregationist laws in the South, along with the need for industrial workers in the North during World War I.

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What were the living conditions like for Black Southerners before the Great Migration?

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Black Southerners faced racial inequality, segregationist policies known as 'Jim Crow,' and economic challenges due to Black codes and the sharecropping system.

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How did World War I impact the Great Migration?

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The war created a shortage of industrial laborers in the North, Midwest, and West, leading recruiters to entice Black Americans to move north.

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What role did Black newspapers play during the Great Migration?

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Black newspapers, like the Chicago Defender, published advertisements and success stories to encourage Black Americans to move north.

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What challenges did migrants face in Northern cities?

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Migrants faced competition for jobs and living space, racism, and prejudice, despite segregation not being legalized in the North.

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What was the impact of the Great Migration on Black urban culture?

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It led to the creation of a new Black urban culture, exemplified by the Harlem Renaissance, and increased political activism among Black Americans.

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How did the Great Migration affect the demographics of Black Americans by 1970?

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By 1970, only half of the country's Black population lived in the South, with only 20% in rural areas, compared to 90% in the South in 1900.

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What was the Chicago Race Riot of 1919?

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A 13-day riot that resulted in 38 deaths, 537 injuries, and 1,000 Black families losing their homes, highlighting racial tensions during the Great Migration.

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What was the Harlem Renaissance?

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An artistic movement that emerged from the Great Migration, celebrating Black culture and contributing to the era's cultural landscape.