Industrialization

The Black Migration Where It Comes Together
 * Industrialization and the Black Migration



The black migration was when the black population began to leave the South for reasons such as racial prejudice, poverty, lack of education, and limited opportunities. Over 1.5 million African Americans left the South to travel to the North between 1910 and 1940. Even if there were many reasons that compelled them to leave the South, one of the main reasons was industrialization, which acted as a major role in such a great migration.

Industrialization was a key factor in this migration because of some major events that were occurring during those times. World War I was set in motion and there was a high demand for farm products to feed soldiers and to clothe them. The farmers began to drop workers and mechanize in order to gain a larger profit out of this event by using machines such as tractors and cotton pickers. Legendary blues singer Koko Taylor grew up chopping cotton in the Mississippi Delta. She was cut from work because of industrialization. Fortunately, the North required many workers at the time because of its industrial jobs that needed many wage workers. The North never had an economic system of gaining money through slavery. Therefore, they viewed African Americans as potential workers regardless of their race. The North began advertising through the radio and through newspapers such as the Chicago //Defender//, the Pittsburgh //Courier,// and the NAACP's //Crisis// magazine, speaking of the freedom and prosperity within the North. World War I also mobilized the United States for war. For this reason, the United States needed more workers to help with war industries. They began to send agents to the South to recruit workers for their Northern war industries.

When the war ended, there was no real demand for farm products anymore. The prices of farm products began to deflate, and farmers began to fall into poverty. They dropped unnecessary workers to gain some profit. Therefore, black laborers were the first ones to be cut from their jobs due to the racial prejudice within the South. It was a good opportunity for the black men of the South to escape and enjoy some of the pleasures of the North.

__A Picture of the Tractor__

__A Picture of the Cotton Picker__

Sources for the Images:

[|Tractor] [|Cotton Picker] [|Black Migration]

Sources for Information:

[|The Great Migration] [|Wikipedia.com] [|Alabama Moments]