Great Migration Great Essay

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What Made Migration Great? The Great Migration refers to the movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North and West between approximately 1910 and 1970. The Great Migration was great because of its important impact. There were several factors that made this migration "great" in terms of its importance and impact; Industrialization and the growth of urban areas, Jim Crow laws, societal inequality that followed the migration, and lastly the unhealthy circumstances that waited for the migrants in the North. Jim Crow laws, and societal inequality, racial violence in the South: African Americans in the South faced widespread discrimination and violence under Jim Crow laws, which enforced segregation and denied them basic rights. The Great Migration was a response to this oppression, as African Americans sought better opportunities and greater freedom in the North and West. Document “A” states that in the rural south, most adolescents didn't receive an education past sixth grade, and local landowners highly encouraged parents to force their children to work as early as possible (Document “A”) On the contrary, African Americans had the right to vote and could actively participate in the political system (Document “A”). Given the education opportunities where African …show more content…

Document “C” states that by 1910 more than half a million black people were working in U.S industrial plants. Black people continued to migrate north for economic opportunities, such as the steel and iron industry. (Document “C”) African Americans saw the potential for better jobs and a better life in the cities, and many were recruited by northern employers. This made the migration great beacuse there was a profound transition from a majority of white workers to a diverse

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