*** blacks African Americans southern riral population








African Americans: Southern Rural Population (1860s-1940s)

free blacks
Figure 1.-- At the time of emancipation (1863) while some blacks lived in the North, the great bulk of the African American population lived in the South, nostly on plantations. While most moved off the plantations after the War, they largely remained in the rural South becoming share croppers. The Great Migration north did not begin to any signifivant extent until after the turn-of-the 20th century. Here we see an unidentified black family somewhere in the South during 1906.

At the time of emancipation, black Americans were a rural, mostly southern population. There were northern free backs, but more than than 90 percent of American blacks lived in the South, mostly in rural areas, often on plantations in the Deep South. It is one reason why Lincoln could justify emancipation as a war measure damaging the Confederate economy. His was important because there was bound to be a legal challenge to the Emancipation Proclamation. There were blacks in the North, but relatively small numbers. In contrast to the South, northern blacks primarily lived in cities. This demographic pattern did not change significantly after Empancipation. Many of the emamcipated blacks became share croppers. This was not a system just for blacks. There were also many white share croppers and their econonmic lecel was only marginally abive those of blacks. At the turn of the 20th century, blacks continued to live primarily in the rurl South. A good example is an unidentified Savanah, Georgia family in 1907. Some southern blacks did move into cities, mostly southern cities. Relativelhy few blacks moved north in the 19th century. But there was a degree of movement within the South, such a movement west to Texas. The Great Migration of southern blacks in the 20th century was part of a much wider process by which southern blacks first began migrating within the South in search of economic, social, and political justice. [Reich] We are not entirely sure why the movment North did not begin earlier.

The 1860s

The issue of slavery prioved insolable through the ante-bellum politicalm system. It was finally solved by the Civil War. The plantation owners decuided to eave the Union. Ironically, slavery could not have been abolished had they remained in the Union. The Civil War made Emancipation that possible. The issue was decided by the victiories of the Federal Army. Here the slave-based economy that the Plantation owners had created in the South could not sustain a military effort against the raw industrial power free labor rapidly expanding North. At the time of Emancipation (1863), black Americans were a rural, mostly southern population. There were northern free backs, but more than than 90 percent of American blacks lived in the South, mostly in rural areas, often on plantations in the Deep South. It is one reason why Lincoln could justify emancipation as a war measure damaging the Confederate economy. This was important because there was bound to be a legal challenge to the Emancipation Proclamation after the War. There were blacks in the North, but relatively small numbers and most were not yet allowed to vote. In contrast to the South, northern blacks primarily lived in cities. The Civil Rights Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) not only abolished slavery, but made it impssible to reverse thriugh legal challenges. In addition, the former slaves were grabnted full citizenship with voting rights.

The 1870s

The 1870s in the South was dominated by Reconstruction (1867-77). Congress passed the Reconstruction Act (1867). It was a nobel butbultimatelyb failed effort, subsequently vilified by Lost Cause historians. President Johnson (1865-69)) did not support it, but President Grant did (1869-76). He evem suppressed the Klu-Klux Klan which was eaging a wave of terror asgainst blacks in the South. Gradually nrtherrn whites tired of the effort. And as part of the 1876 presidential election cimpromise, President Hayes withdrew the last Federal troops from the South (1877). This pre-War demographic pattern did not change significantly after Empancipation. Many of the emamcipated blacks became share croppers. This was not a system just for blacks. There were also many white share croppers and their econonmic lecel was only marginally abive those of blacks. Relativelhy few blacks moved north in the 19th century. But there was a degree of movement within the South, such a movement west to Texas.

The 1880s

By the 1880s, blacks in the South were on their own without the protection provided by the Federal Government. And the mostly southern state governments found a way around the 15th Amendment which was designed to guarantee voting rights. As a result, the state representative voted in after the Civil War were gone by the 80s. This made possible the enactment if the Black Code/Jim Crow Laws. This and extra-judicial violence undid many of the advancements made during Reconstruction. While slavery was abolished, blacks, especially southern blacks, were denied much of the economic opportunity to which most of the population and the wave of European immigrants enjoyed. Something not mentioned by the woke media and academia is despite the significant reversal of fortune, the former slaves formed firm family bonds. That was a great achievement of emancipation, black families could no longer be torn apart. One of the most pernicious aspects of slavery is how children could be torn away from their mothers and sold. They were denied the oprotections of the familiy that most children not only grew up with and played an imoprtant role in their futures. After Emancipation, most black children for the first time grew up with both their mothers, but now a permanent father figure in their lives--including the all important teen years. Tragically this is something most black children in America do not enjoy today. Over 70 percent of African-American children are now born to unwed mothers. This is something that did not begin until the major liberal reforms began (1950s). We have discussed this state of affairs in many internet fora. Invariably we are labeled a racist for bringing it up--no denial of the fact, but for bringing it up.

The 1890s

The Supreme Court 'Plessy vs Ferguson' decision legitmized the Southern Black Codes and made the 'separate but equal' dictum Constitutiional law (1896). The Court held that state-enacted mandated segregation laws did not violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Of course the separae part of that was very real. The equal part was an absolute fiction. The Court decision did not materially change the condition of southern blacks as the Jim Crow seggrationist laws had been in effect for some time, but it meant that no legal challenge was possible.

The 1900s

At the turn of the 20th century, blacks continued to live primarily in the rurl South. A good example is an unidentified Georgia family in 1907. Some southern blacks did move into cities, mostly southern cities. Relativelhy few blacks moved north in the 19th century. The National Association of Colored People (NAACP) was founed in New York (1909) and would play a major role in fight for racial justice.

The 1910s

At the beginning of the decade, there were some 10 milliion black Americans, about 90 percenr still lived in the South. And life for them was not a lot dufferent thn it was in the late-19th century. The Great Migration of southern blacks in the 20th century was part of a much wider process by which southern blacks first began migrating within the South in search of economic, social, and political justice. [Reich] We are not entirely sure why the movment North did not begin earlier. The Great Migration north began (1910s). A development in the North was the industrial expansion Henry Ford helped generate, creating industrial jobs availble in large numbers for the first time. America in the late, 19th century became the world's largest industrial nation, supassing Britain and Germany. Ford and the Model-T sent America on the way to surpassing all of Europe. While gross inequities continued in America, the living stndads of black American began to rise over that of much of Europe. Black Americans continue to fight fight for racial justice. Most of this fight occurred in the Northern states where freedom oof speech was possible. This effort primarily consisted of writing editorials, publishing news, literary and scholarly journals, and organizing peaceful protests. The prinary effort was to expose the injustice of segregation . Not a lot of people in the North knew about it. In somee areas, many northerners had never see a black person. The National Urban League (NUL) was founded in New York City (NUL). The civil rughts organization were most ctive in the North because iof the threat of violence in the South. But it us important to note that the NAACP was able to open chapters throughout the South. The NAACP began publishing Crisis. W.E.B. Du Bois was the first editor and quickly became America's leading Civil Rights figure. Numbers of black students were entering universities mainstream universities. Kappa Alpha Psi, an African American fraternity, was fiounded by 10 students at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana (1911). Omega Psi Phi was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Some 60 blacks were lynched (1912), almost of the lynching were black men and in the South. A campaign against lynching became a primary goal of the Civil Rights movemnt. W.C. Handy published 'Memphis Blues' in Memphis. he would become known as 'Father of the Blues'. He and others would powerfully impact American popular music. Former President Teddy Roosevelt split the Republican Party leading to the election of Woodrow Wilson (1912). The newly elected President Woodrow Wilson establishes segregation for the first time in the Federal Government. Liberalism at the time did not extend to race relaions. Suffragette leaders avoided conections with the Civil Rights leaders, concerned that it would it would damage the movenment in the South. Progressive leades also avoided Civil Rights, in part because of the strength of the Eugenics Movenent. D.W. Griffith released 'Birth of a Nation', a virulently racist film. It was a film version of the Lost Cause Movenmennt. The first victory in the effort to reverse Plessy was achieved in the Suprene Court's decision reversing The Oklahoma Grandfather Clause (1915). The NAACP launcged 'Lift every voice and sing' as the African American national anthem. Booker T. Washington died, he had been a major black leader and scientist and help guide Tuskegee Institute which he founded into a highly regarded black university. Marcus Garvey founded the New York branch of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and became an important black leader. James Weldon Johnson played a major role in opening NAACP chaopters throughout the South. The United States declared war on Germany (1917). Some 370,000 black Americans fought for America. More than half were transported to France and served on the Western Front in segregated units. This included ovr 1,000 officers. Gen. Pershing was unsure what to do with them. As a result, large numbers were transferred to French command. There were 107 black soldiers who were warded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government. The War-time experience of these men gave them a new self respect and the time in France was an eye-opening experience. Many French people viewed race differntly than Americans. (Although it also is true that France has highly racist policies throughout its Empire.) Many black servicemen returned to America wanting real change. Race riots broke out in East St. Louis lasting 2 days (1917). Race Riot breakout. The two days of rioting left 40 people dead, several hundred injured, and thousands burned out or displaced. Relatively small race riots occurred in Cghester and Philadelpgia, Peensylvania. A factor here was the movement of siouthern blacks north. This meant increasing interactions in the North. More severe race riots occured in several cities (1919). One Civil Rights called them the Red Summer of 1919. [Johnson] Claude McKay penned the poem, "If we must die". Claude A. Barnett founded the Associated Negro Press on Chicago's South Side (1919). He built it into the largest black news service, important because the maun new services were two often not unterested in blacks and developments in the black community.

The 1920s


Sources

Johnsom James Weldon.

Reich, Steven A. (ed.) Encyclopedia of the Great Black Migration (Greenwood Milestones in African American History, 2006).








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Created: 5:42 PM 1/10/2018
Last updated: 5:45 PM 5/17/2023