Q1. Why did European and southern African-American migrants move to American cities in the 19 th and early 20th centuries?
Migration is the movement of people from one place to another. By the late 17 th century, a quarter of the south's population was black slaves. However, this would change in the 20 th century influenced by various factors including; the introduction of the Jim Crow laws with the intention of controlling more resources by the white supremacists. The laws caused intimidation, and persecution that had not been experienced before by the blacks. Above the segregation in the use of common resources such as public transport, a number of blacks experienced physical violence from the whites. For instance, in one year, 119 blacks were lynched following accusations from whites. The allegations were grounded on a black person who seemed to move ahead, accumulate wealth and try to make their life better. Thus, a majority of the African Americans who tried to progress were lynched from 1890 to 1910. By this time, African Americans had few resources and limited choices to them. The land promised to them was now a co cropping investment with the whites. The idea crippled the blacks even further as this was the only thing they could do which was also not a clean deal. The whites threatened them into signing deals that let the black farmers in debts for fear of violence and killings. Whereas the conditions in the south were cumbersome, the industrialized north was looking for workers to work in the war armory factories. The companies sent agents to the south to entice African Americans. Among the things that they offered would be well-paying jobs, transportation would be catered for by the company and low-cost housing. This motivated the African American in the south to move to the northern cities.
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Q2. Why did European American migrants move to American cities in the 19 th and early 20th centuries?
European Americans moved to the American cities to find greener pastures. The economy of the south had become weak due to its reliance on agriculture which was not doing well. This left the south with few resources and employment. On the other hand, the north needed workers for the war products based industries. The northern companies sent recruitment agencies to the south who would entice the people of the South to move north. The jobs at the industrial cities were enticing as they would be able to earn better wages. Additionally, the migration of Europeans within America followed the patterns of the initial inter-country migration where most would follow their families and countrymen to the cities. For instance, the Irish moved to Boston where other Americans of Irish descent had settled. In the cities, European Americans would find better jobs and better payment which enabled them to afford better housing favored by the segregation laws. Hence, European Americans had neighborhoods that were ready to accept them and take them in. The housing was also up to standard.
Q3. What opportunities and difficulties did they face on arrival?
Whereas the South focused on farming and slaves, the North became industrialized. The World War I in 1914 led to the increased need for armory and other supplies for the war. Thus, industries expanded and needed more workers to fill the spaces. The factory owners began to eye the black Americans to join the industrial labor force. Job adverts were put up and agents sent to the south to entice the African Americans to join the north. Other goodies included the tripled labor wage in the factories, subsidized housing, better living conditions and a touch of the North. Some companies even used agents to help in recruiting the blacks. Thus, by 1916 many African Americans left for the North in various cities including New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
In the north, the immigrant population got jobs, others in the factories and others in railroad construction and unskilled labor. The working conditions were not as friendly as they had envisioned as there were widespread prejudice and discrimination for the blacks. Rent rates increased unlike what they were promised and the congestion made the places not conducive for human beings. On the other hand, whites segregated them and insisted that only whites could live in white communities. Similarly, most African American women were unable to find jobs in factories leading to high competition for the domestic jobs that were available. On the other hand, the men who found jobs were still discriminated and had to work with the scrutiny drawn for being black. The pay was lesser than anticipated, but they had to live.
Q4. Why did some racial or ethnic groups experience more social mobility than others?
The internal migrants especially the African Americans did not envision discrimination in the North. They felt that the North was an opportunity to become free and engage in meaningful labor. However, the North soon adopted discriminative measures that would see the black Americans settle for low paying jobs, poor housing and no jobs or domestic work for women. On the other hand, the white got better housing and education leading to an upward morbidity in their social status. Thus, there was greater social mobility among other races based on their work, labor wages and residence. Whereas the discrimination laws restricted the blacks, the whites actively participated in education, better jobs, and better wages. White residences were developed that prohibited black residents even those that could afford the housing. Blacks were forced to remain in a slave’s position and adhere to all subservient roles. Additionally, the effect of the Jim Crow laws infused fear among African Americans making them unable to contribute towards the economy indecently through business initiatives. This would, in the end, curtail social mobility. Additionally, labor was focused on gender. Thus, few women were able to get jobs, and those that they got were low paying compared to their male counterparts. This was contrary to the thoughts of mass migration where people envisioned jobs, education, and freedom. The role of women in the labor market was relegated to the domestic sphere which could not accommodate many women. Thus, the social and economic status of women did not improve even with the migration.
The great migration as termed by historians involved the massive migration of African Americans from the south to the cities in the North. This began in the early 20 th century catalyzed by the widespread discrimination and physical violence in the south. The World War I also had an important role as the factories needed workers to satisfy the needs of the war. Starting 1916 blacks moved massively into cities with the hope of finding better jobs, better wages, and living conditions. This encouraged the first and second wave of migration. The conditions were not as expected as the African American workers were confronted with the challenges of being black among whites. Thus, reverse migration after the south had gained stability.
References
Kopf. D (January 28 2016) The Great Migration: The African American Exodus from The South. Priceconomics
