Which factors prompted the Great Migration?

The Great Migration was largely driven by the oppressive conditions faced by African Americans in the South during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Segregation laws, known as Jim Crow laws, enforced racial discrimination and limited economic, social, and political opportunities for Black individuals. Furthermore, the threat of violence, including lynching and other forms of racial terror, created a climate of fear that compelled many to leave their homes in search of safety and a better life.

As conditions in the South became increasingly unbearable, particularly during the early 1900s, many African Americans were motivated to move to northern and western cities, where they sought greater economic opportunities and the chance to live in a more equitable society. The migration resulted in significant demographic changes and a redefinition of the African American identity as they established themselves in urban areas.

While the desire for better schools and housing, job opportunities in agriculture, and government incentives for relocation are valid considerations within the broader context of migration and movement in America, they do not capture the urgency and severity of the factors related to segregation and violence that were primary motivators for the Great Migration.