3.1: Reading a Textbook: The Great Migration
- Page ID
- 49366
Pre-Reading Activities
The chapter you will be reading from the textbook discusses the migration of African Americans from the South to Northern cities. Answer the questions below to begin thinking about the ideas in the chapter.
- What do you know already about the history of African Americans in the U.S.?
- When you moved to the United States, what pulled you here?
- When you moved to the United States, what pushed you away from your home country?
Vocabulary Preview
Identify the words below that you already know. Discuss them with your classmates or instructor, or look them up in the dictionary.
- Migration
- Rural
- Historical
- Factor
- Civil War
- Push
- Slavery
- Racism
- Lynching
- Flee/fled
- Vote
- Violence
- Pull
First Reading
When reading a challenging academic text, you will often need to read several times to understand the full meaning. Read through the text one time quickly (skim) to find the main idea. After you read once, write a few notes. What is one thing you remember from your first reading? What is one question you have from your first reading? Your first reading should take only a few minutes; don't try to understand every word, just try to understand the general idea of the text.
The African American "Great Migration": Section One
Between the end of the Civil War (1865) and the beginning of the Great Depression (1929), almost two million African Americans moved from the rural South to look for new opportunities. While some moved west, most of this Great Migration, as the large number of African Americans leaving the South was called, moved to the Northeast and Upper Midwest. More than two-thirds of them moved to the following cities: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Indianapolis
The African American "Great Migration": Section Two
There are “push” and “pull” factors for any migration (the movement of a large number of people). Even though the Civil War had ended and laws were passed to end slavery and protect the right to vote, African Americans still experienced intense racism. Groups like the Ku Klux Klan caused death threats, violence, and lynchings (murder by hanging). According to researchers at the Tuskegee Institute, there were thirty-five hundred lynchings and other murders committed in the South between 1865 and 1900. For African Americans fleeing this violence, northern and midwestern cities offered an opportunity to escape the dangers of the South.
The African American "Great Migration": Section Three
In addition to this “push” out of the South, African Americans were also “pulled” to the cities by job opportunities and the chance to vote (for men, at least). Many African Americans did not have money to move themselves, but factory owners and other businesses helped pay for their moves. Because of racism, African American workers still had the lower-paying jobs in steel mills, mines, construction, and meat packing. In the railroad industry, they often worked as porters or servants. In other businesses, they worked as janitors, waiters, or cooks. African American women, who faced racism and sexism, often worked as maids and domestic servants. Nevertheless, African Americans earned higher wages in the North than they did for the same jobs in the South, and found housing more easily.
The African American "Great Migration": Section Four
However, life in the city was still difficult. African Americans still experienced the higher cost of living in the North, especially in terms of rent and food. As a result, housing was often overcrowded and dirty. They still experienced racism from landlords, bankers and neighbors. So why move to the North, since the economic problems were similar to those in the South? African Americans moved for non-economic gains. In the North they found greater educational opportunities and personal freedom. Similarly, unlike the South where African Americans often experienced violence, life in larger, crowded cities permitted African Americans to move, work, and speak freely.
Second Reading
Read the chapter a second time. This time, stop and answer the comprehension questions after each section. Take notes.
The African American "Great Migration": Section One
Between the end of the Civil War (1865) and the beginning of the Great Depression (1929), almost two million African Americans moved from the rural South to look for new opportunities. While some moved west, most of this Great Migration, as the large number of African Americans leaving the South was called, moved to the Northeast and Upper Midwest. More than two-thirds of them moved to the following cities: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Indianapolis
Comprehension Questions
- How many African Americans moved away from the South from 1865 to 1929?
- What is the name of this large historical movement?
- On the map of the U.S. at the end of this chapter, identify the 8 cities mentioned in the paragraph above. Which part of the U.S. is the South?
The African American "Great Migration": Section Two
There are “push” and “pull” factors for any migration (the movement of a large number of people). Even though the Civil War had ended and laws were passed to end slavery and protect the right to vote, African Americans still experienced intense racism. Groups like the Ku Klux Klan caused death threats, violence, and lynchings (murder by hanging). According to researchers at the Tuskegee Institute, there were thirty-five hundred lynchings and other murders committed in the South between 1865 and 1900. For African Americans fleeing this violence, northern and midwestern cities offered an opportunity to escape the dangers of the South.
Comprehension Questions
- What is the "push" factor that caused African Americans to leave the South?
- How many African Americans were murdered in the South between 1865 and 1900?
The African American "Great Migration": Section Three
In addition to this “push” out of the South, African Americans were also “pulled” to the cities by job opportunities and the chance to vote (for men, at least). Many African Americans did not have money to move themselves, but factory owners and other businesses helped pay for their moves. Because of racism, African American workers still had the lower-paying jobs in steel mills, mines, construction, and meat packing. In the railroad industry, they often worked as porters or servants. In other businesses, they worked as janitors, waiters, or cooks. African American women, who faced racism and sexism, often worked as maids and domestic servants. Nevertheless, African Americans earned higher wages in the North than they did for the same jobs in the South, and found housing more easily.
Comprehension Questions
- What are three "pull" factors that caused African Americans to move to Northern cities?
The African American "Great Migration": Section Four
However, life in the city was still difficult. African Americans still experienced the higher cost of living in the North, especially in terms of rent and food. As a result, housing was often overcrowded and dirty. They still experienced racism from landlords, bankers and neighbors. So why move to the North, since the economic problems were similar to those in the South? African Americans moved for non-economic gains. In the North they found greater educational opportunities and personal freedom. Similarly, unlike the South where African Americans often experienced violence, life in larger, crowded cities permitted African Americans to move, work, and speak freely.
Comprehension Questions
- What were two non-economic gains from African Americans who moved to Northern cities?
- Why was life in the city still different for African Americans?
Genre and Reading Strategies
Identify the best answer for each question or fill in the blank.
- The tone of this textbook chapter is____________.
- Formal
- Informal
- In order to understand and remember the information in this textbook chapter, I read it _____ times.
- I skimmed this chapter before I read it slowly.
- Yes
- No
- Information about the Civil War is in Section _______.
- The definition of the Great Migration is in Section _________.
- When I take notes, it ________.
- Helps me understand and remember
- Doesn't help me understand and remember
Summary Writing
One way to understand the remember information from an academic textbook is to write a summary of the chapter after you read it. There are four sections in the chapter. Before you write, re-read the section. Then cover the text and tell your classmates what the section is about. Try to explain it clearly in one sentence. After you have explained the main idea out loud, write one sentence that gives the main idea for each section. Section One is written for you as an example.
Section One
From 1865 to 1929, 2 million African Americans moved from the South to the North.
Discuss or Write
The textbook chapter discusses the "push" and "pull" factors that caused African Americans to migrate from the South to Northern cities. Identify those factors. Are any of those factors similar to your own reasons for immigrating to your current home?
Vocabulary Activity
Match the vocabulary terms in the first list with the matching synonyms or definition in the second list...
- Migration (n)
- Rural (adj)
- Historical (adj)
- Factor (n)
- Civil War (proper noun)
- Slavery (n)
- Racism (n)
- Lynching (n)
- Flee (v)
- Vote (v)
- Violence (n)
- Push (v)
- Pull (v)
- Related to history; the past
- Murder by hanging without a trial; a form of terrorism
- The movement of a large group of people from one area to another
- Hatred or discrimination toward someone based on race
- Countryside; the opposite of city
- To force away
- To force toward
- A condition where some people own others as property and force them to work
- A circumstance that causes a result
- The war between the North and the South in the U.S., 1861-1865
- To escape; to run away
- Formally choose between people or actions; cast a ballot
- The use of physical force to cause harm
Map of the U.S.
