Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyThe Great Migration and Demographic Shifts

The table below shows demographic data from the United States Census:

CityAfrican American Population (1910)African American Population (1920)
Detroit, Michigan5,70340,838
Cleveland, Ohio8,44834,451

Based on the table and your knowledge of history, which of the following was a primary pull factor that attracted African American migrants to these cities between 1910 and 1920?

  1. The availability of labor opportunities in northern industrial sectors, such as automobile manufacturing and steel millsAnswer
  2. B
    The widespread devastation of southern cotton crops by the boll weevil, which forced families to abandon agricultural work
  3. C
    The legal prohibition of de facto segregation in northern urban housing and public schools
  4. D
    The expansion of southern sharecropping contracts that offered land ownership opportunities

Answer

The availability of labor opportunities in northern industrial sectors, such as automobile manufacturing and steel mills
The correct answer is the option focusing on the availability of labor opportunities in northern industrial sectors. During the World War I era, northern factories experienced labor shortages due to the drop in European immigration and the enlistment of white workers, leading them to recruit African Americans. The promise of higher wages and industrial employment in cities like Detroit and Cleveland served as a major pull factor during the Great Migration.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the census table to identify the demographic trend.
The table indicates a massive increase in the African American population in northern cities like Detroit and Cleveland between 1910 and 1920.
This establishes the historical timeframe and geographic shift of the Great Migration.
2
Distinguish between push factors and pull factors of the Great Migration.
Push factors (such as Jim Crow laws, crop failures, and racial terror) drove people out of the South, whereas pull factors (such as job opportunities and the Black press) attracted them to the North.
The question specifically asks for a 'pull factor' that attracted migrants to these northern destination cities.
3
Evaluate the choices to identify the correct northern pull factor.
The expansion of industrial manufacturing during World War I created jobs in cities like Detroit (auto industry) and Cleveland (steel mills), representing a strong pull factor.
Other options either describe southern push factors (boll weevil, sharecropping) or misrepresent northern racial conditions (claiming de facto segregation was legally prohibited).

Key Concept

The Great Migration and Demographic Shifts
Estimated Time:50s
Rate this question

Topics

The Great Migration and Demographic Shifts

More questions from this topic