In the beginning of World War 1, there were huge populations of African Americans migrating to the North. The situation in the south was an environment where the "colored" people still did not have the equality they deserved. In the south they didn't have opportunities to get an education or to succeed in anything. When they traveled to the north, the African Americans were filled with hopes that they would get a better life. In an estimation, one million black southerns moved to the less racist part of the country. In the north, there were many job openings because many of the people had to leave to fight in the war.
When the African Americans arrived in the north, it was a time period of many changes. The Northerns and the Southerns would compete to get jobs. There were riots because the Northerns were angry that they had to compete for housings and jobs. The African Americans that were already in the north treated the migrants as if they were unworthy to be there. The migrants suffered and went through many challenges but when they arrived, children were able to get an education and the adults were given the freedom to vote.
The African Americans were in search of a better life. They traveled in huge amounts and at first things were hard. Sometimes they were all stuck together in houses and some lost hope. Many things doubled in price because of the war that was taking place. This movement changed the United States because the African Americans went to go change how life was for them. They were also on a goal to earn equality and change the harsh way they were still being treated, even though slavery was abolished. The movement changed how the people in the south were used to living and how the north was changing in addition to the war. The Great Migration was a time period where African Americans traveled to the north on a search for a better life.
Sources:
