The Great Migration
What was the Great Migration?
The Great Migration was the mass movement of about 5 million southern African Americans to the north between 1915 and 1960. Many of these southern African Americans moved to New York City and Brooklyn.
What Caused the Great Migration?
The first big movement of African Americans happened during World War I. African Americans in the southern states of the United States did not have the work opportunities they wanted. They also faced harsh segregation laws and racial prejudice.
Brooklyn was already known as a place with many factory and manufacturing jobs. Then, when World War I began, war production kicked into high gear. This meant that there were more and more jobs for people to make supplies needed for the war, like uniforms, weapons, and machines. Recruiters persuaded African Americans to come to northern cities to work in factories. Because many African Americans could not get good paying jobs in the south, the offer was too good to pass up. Between 1910 and 1920, the population of African Americans in New York doubled.
What Was Life Like in the City?
When African Americans arrived in New York, they were forced to deal with poor working conditions in factories, slaughterhouses, and metalworking plants. African Americans also still had to deal with the racism and prejudice they thought they had left behind in the south. This was most hurtful when people tried to get housing. Many building owners would not rent their apartments or houses to African Americans. Or, they would charge more than they would for a white person. To deal with this, African Americans created their own “cities within the city.” The most famous of these black communities was Harlem (where the Harlem Renaissance took place). However, in the late 1930s, many African Americans moved to Brooklyn where housing was cheaper.
To deal with some of the hardships of city life, African Americans formed tight-nit communities and developed a new, urban African American culture. This new culture started to gain popularity in America in the 1920s and 1930s. African American music like jazz, swing, and the blues became popular all over America. African American artists create unique works of art featuring African Americans. The most important part of this new, urban culture was that African Americans had great pride in themselves and the culture they created.
Brooklyn in Decline
Brooklyn had once been the biggest supply of manufacturing jobs in the nation, but by the 1950s, Brooklyn's factories became fewer and fewer. Manufacturers moved their factories to cheaper locations in other cities. All the African American and immigrant workers who relied on factory jobs were suddenly out of work. After the 1950s, once vibrant neighborhoods like East New York began to fall into poverty and decay, and it wasn't until the 1990s that neighborhoods like East New York start to rebuild themselves.
The Great Migration was the mass movement of about 5 million southern African Americans to the north between 1915 and 1960. Many of these southern African Americans moved to New York City and Brooklyn.
What Caused the Great Migration?
The first big movement of African Americans happened during World War I. African Americans in the southern states of the United States did not have the work opportunities they wanted. They also faced harsh segregation laws and racial prejudice.
Brooklyn was already known as a place with many factory and manufacturing jobs. Then, when World War I began, war production kicked into high gear. This meant that there were more and more jobs for people to make supplies needed for the war, like uniforms, weapons, and machines. Recruiters persuaded African Americans to come to northern cities to work in factories. Because many African Americans could not get good paying jobs in the south, the offer was too good to pass up. Between 1910 and 1920, the population of African Americans in New York doubled.
What Was Life Like in the City?
When African Americans arrived in New York, they were forced to deal with poor working conditions in factories, slaughterhouses, and metalworking plants. African Americans also still had to deal with the racism and prejudice they thought they had left behind in the south. This was most hurtful when people tried to get housing. Many building owners would not rent their apartments or houses to African Americans. Or, they would charge more than they would for a white person. To deal with this, African Americans created their own “cities within the city.” The most famous of these black communities was Harlem (where the Harlem Renaissance took place). However, in the late 1930s, many African Americans moved to Brooklyn where housing was cheaper.
To deal with some of the hardships of city life, African Americans formed tight-nit communities and developed a new, urban African American culture. This new culture started to gain popularity in America in the 1920s and 1930s. African American music like jazz, swing, and the blues became popular all over America. African American artists create unique works of art featuring African Americans. The most important part of this new, urban culture was that African Americans had great pride in themselves and the culture they created.
Brooklyn in Decline
Brooklyn had once been the biggest supply of manufacturing jobs in the nation, but by the 1950s, Brooklyn's factories became fewer and fewer. Manufacturers moved their factories to cheaper locations in other cities. All the African American and immigrant workers who relied on factory jobs were suddenly out of work. After the 1950s, once vibrant neighborhoods like East New York began to fall into poverty and decay, and it wasn't until the 1990s that neighborhoods like East New York start to rebuild themselves.