First Great Migration (1910–1930)

1. Most Black Americans still live in the South

   Jan 1, 1910Labels: Black Americans, U S

   • Nat Archives
   • PMC Study

2. Early 1910s pressures increase mobility

   Jan 1, 1913Labels: Sharecropping, Southern farms

   • NMAAHC
   • Blackhawk Co

3. Boll weevil damage deepens cotton crisis

   Jan 1, 1914Labels: Boll weevil, Cotton region

   • Blackhawk Co
   • NMAAHC

4. Chicago Defender promotes northern opportunities

   Jan 1, 1916Labels: Chicago Defender, Black press

   • NIU Journal
   • Gutenberg

5. U.S. enters World War I, boosting labor demand

   Apr 6, 1917Labels: United States, World War

   • LOC
   • Nat Archives

6. “Great Northern Drive” date draws attention

   May 15, 1917Labels: Great Northern, Chicago Defender

   • Gutenberg
   • NIU Journal

7. East St. Louis violence drives fear and activism

   Jul 2, 1917Labels: East St, Race riot

   • Britannica
   • EJI Calendar

8. NAACP Silent Parade protests racial violence

   Jul 28, 1917Labels: NAACP, Silent Parade

   • Gilder Lehrman
   • Britannica

9. Chicago Race Riot highlights “Red Summer” tensions

   Jul 27, 1919Labels: Chicago Race, Red Summer

   • Britannica

10. Migration reshapes northern city demographics by 1920

    Jan 1, 1920Labels: Chicago, Urban migration

    • Britannica
    • Nat Archives

11. Immigration Act of 1924 limits foreign immigration

    May 26, 1924Labels: Immigration Act, Johnson Reed

    • Immig Act

12. By 1930, first wave leaves lasting urban footprint

    Jan 1, 1930Labels: First Great, Northern cities

    • Gilder Lehrman
    • NMAAHC