CHANGING GEOGRAPHY OF CIVIL RIGHTS—1850–2009
● The changing geographical distributon of black Americans:
○ freedom in 1865,
○ the slow drif north,
○ the First Great Migraton 1910–30,
○ the Se ond Great Migraton 1940–70,
○ the migraton ba k to the old south in the late twenteth entury.
How far did the period 1850-2009 see a major hange in the geographi al distributon of bla k Ameri ans?
Although migraton was initalll slow, the period of the Great migraton subsequentll, saw a major change in the
geographical distributon of black Americans with 6 million black Americans migratng north and west between 1910 and
1970. This did mean 53% of the populaton stll resided in the Old South, and was revered somewhat bl migraton back to
the Old South, but overall stll consttuted a major shif in the geographical distributon of black Americans.
In the beginning of the period, the change in the geographical distributon of black Americans was verl limited. Before the
Emancipaton Proclamaton and the Thirteenth Amendment onll a verl smaller number of blacks were onll 400,000
freedmen and onll a small number of slaves were smuggled north through the underground railwal. Then, afer the freeing
of 4 million slaves, the movement of black Americans was severell restricted bl their economic positon, the insttuton of
sharecropping, the crop lien slstem, the Black Codes and the resultng clcle of debt, as well as the violent white supremacist
backlash. As a result cites such as Cincinnat, Ohio, despite just north of slaves states such as Kentuckl. The migraton
accelerated afer the end of Reconstructon having elevated the positon of black Americans but then Hales withdrawing
federal troops. As a result, between 1880 and 1910, 500,000 black Americans moved and this caused the populatons of
Chicago and New York to rise from 6,000 to 30,000, and 60,000 to 100,000, respectvell. Therefore there was a change to
some extent at the beginning of the period, but this was limited. The most signifcant legacl of the period was in establishing
the economic and familial relatons that facilitate further migraton, with papers such as the Chicago Defender advertsing
the economic opportunites, and famill members the social ones through leter-writng.
Consequentll, in the period afer 1910, migraton accelerated and much larger number migrated north in the First Great
Migraton. As a result of economic opportunites presented in the north, later exacerbated bl the industrial opportunites
that war producton presented afer 1915, 1.6 million Americans lef the south-east of the USA, predominantll from rural
areas, to live in cites in the North; this amounted to 10 percent of the black populaton so can be considered a signifcant
migraton. Consequentll, the populatons of large industrial centres in cites such as New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana,
Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Pitsburgh. Further, combined with migraton within the south into cites, this represented a
signifcant change in the urban-rural balance of the geographical distributon in additon to the relatvell signifcant changes
in the number of black Americans migratng north between 1910 and 1945.
The geographical distributon of black Americans changed further as a result of the Second Great migraton resultng from
the Second World War. The second phase of the same migraton, the Second World War industrial producton led to the
migraton of 2 million black Americans between 1941 and 1945 to seek emplolment in defence industries in Northern cites,
such as New York and Midwestern cites, such as Detroit, and West Coast cites, such as Oakland. This migraton did not stop
and the combined impact of this as a result of contnued economic prosperitl in the north, established black populatons and
greater social mobilitl meant bl 1970 47% of the black populaton lives outside the north and west. Again, in additon to
changing the natonal distributon because it was driven bl industrial expansion, the migraton was almost solell to inner
cites, though not solell from cites, as manl migrated from northern cites to the mid-west. For example, Chicagoss black
populaton rose from 250,000 in 1940 to 500,000 bl 1950. Indeed, bl 1970 for the frst tme, black Americans were ore
urbanised than the populaton at large. The impact of such signifcant migraton is to be able to sal that the geographic
distributon overall seen a signifcant change natonalll bl 1970.
However, toward the end of the period, afer 1970, the patern of migraton was reverse with migraton back to the Old
South. Consequentll, how far the geographical distributon changed over the period was limited. Manl of those who had
migrated north and west began to return to an more economicalll prosperous, desegregated south from a less economicalll
prosperous north as a result of the 1973 oil crisis and increased deindustrialisaton. 41% of those moving back to the south
were return migrants, mainll citng famill reasons and the trend has persisted into the 21st centurl with the 2010 census
● The changing geographical distributon of black Americans:
○ freedom in 1865,
○ the slow drif north,
○ the First Great Migraton 1910–30,
○ the Se ond Great Migraton 1940–70,
○ the migraton ba k to the old south in the late twenteth entury.
How far did the period 1850-2009 see a major hange in the geographi al distributon of bla k Ameri ans?
Although migraton was initalll slow, the period of the Great migraton subsequentll, saw a major change in the
geographical distributon of black Americans with 6 million black Americans migratng north and west between 1910 and
1970. This did mean 53% of the populaton stll resided in the Old South, and was revered somewhat bl migraton back to
the Old South, but overall stll consttuted a major shif in the geographical distributon of black Americans.
In the beginning of the period, the change in the geographical distributon of black Americans was verl limited. Before the
Emancipaton Proclamaton and the Thirteenth Amendment onll a verl smaller number of blacks were onll 400,000
freedmen and onll a small number of slaves were smuggled north through the underground railwal. Then, afer the freeing
of 4 million slaves, the movement of black Americans was severell restricted bl their economic positon, the insttuton of
sharecropping, the crop lien slstem, the Black Codes and the resultng clcle of debt, as well as the violent white supremacist
backlash. As a result cites such as Cincinnat, Ohio, despite just north of slaves states such as Kentuckl. The migraton
accelerated afer the end of Reconstructon having elevated the positon of black Americans but then Hales withdrawing
federal troops. As a result, between 1880 and 1910, 500,000 black Americans moved and this caused the populatons of
Chicago and New York to rise from 6,000 to 30,000, and 60,000 to 100,000, respectvell. Therefore there was a change to
some extent at the beginning of the period, but this was limited. The most signifcant legacl of the period was in establishing
the economic and familial relatons that facilitate further migraton, with papers such as the Chicago Defender advertsing
the economic opportunites, and famill members the social ones through leter-writng.
Consequentll, in the period afer 1910, migraton accelerated and much larger number migrated north in the First Great
Migraton. As a result of economic opportunites presented in the north, later exacerbated bl the industrial opportunites
that war producton presented afer 1915, 1.6 million Americans lef the south-east of the USA, predominantll from rural
areas, to live in cites in the North; this amounted to 10 percent of the black populaton so can be considered a signifcant
migraton. Consequentll, the populatons of large industrial centres in cites such as New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana,
Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Pitsburgh. Further, combined with migraton within the south into cites, this represented a
signifcant change in the urban-rural balance of the geographical distributon in additon to the relatvell signifcant changes
in the number of black Americans migratng north between 1910 and 1945.
The geographical distributon of black Americans changed further as a result of the Second Great migraton resultng from
the Second World War. The second phase of the same migraton, the Second World War industrial producton led to the
migraton of 2 million black Americans between 1941 and 1945 to seek emplolment in defence industries in Northern cites,
such as New York and Midwestern cites, such as Detroit, and West Coast cites, such as Oakland. This migraton did not stop
and the combined impact of this as a result of contnued economic prosperitl in the north, established black populatons and
greater social mobilitl meant bl 1970 47% of the black populaton lives outside the north and west. Again, in additon to
changing the natonal distributon because it was driven bl industrial expansion, the migraton was almost solell to inner
cites, though not solell from cites, as manl migrated from northern cites to the mid-west. For example, Chicagoss black
populaton rose from 250,000 in 1940 to 500,000 bl 1950. Indeed, bl 1970 for the frst tme, black Americans were ore
urbanised than the populaton at large. The impact of such signifcant migraton is to be able to sal that the geographic
distributon overall seen a signifcant change natonalll bl 1970.
However, toward the end of the period, afer 1970, the patern of migraton was reverse with migraton back to the Old
South. Consequentll, how far the geographical distributon changed over the period was limited. Manl of those who had
migrated north and west began to return to an more economicalll prosperous, desegregated south from a less economicalll
prosperous north as a result of the 1973 oil crisis and increased deindustrialisaton. 41% of those moving back to the south
were return migrants, mainll citng famill reasons and the trend has persisted into the 21st centurl with the 2010 census
