THE GREAT MIGRATION What was the Great Migration? In the early 1990’s, many African-Americans wanted to leave the south in order to find a better life. There were not many opportunities in the south, and the African-Americans that did have jobs as sharecroppers were losing crops. The Jim Crow laws were another reason that African-Americans left the south. The Jim Crow laws gave blacks separate but equal status, and racial discrimination was still strong in the south. People became part of the Great Migration hoping that they would leave discrimination behind. New industries were one reason that there were so many jobs in the north. Many African-Americans were given job opportunities by the railroad industry. Some railroad workers were even paid to make the trip from the south. Many northern cities grew as a result of the Great Migration. Chicago, Detroit, and New York City saw a rise in their African-American populations. The Harlem Renaissance was a result of the Great Migration. Life was better in the north for many African-Americans, but racial discrimination still happened outside of the south. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.