Next The movement of African-Americans to the

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The movement of African-Americans to the North has many names. The movement started after the Emancipation Proclamation and grew stronger in the 20 th Century. The experiences of African-Americans, not the historical dates, is what is important in this story. The story is “read” by examining images (photographs & drawings) which were created by people Home who were alive at the time. Back Next

Photograph - Slave Family Photograph - Slave Auction Before considering African-American movement to the North Photograph - Working in Cotton Field Photograph - Slave Store take a moment to Photograph - Slave Pen look at some images of slavery. Home Back Next

Home Images of conditions that caused the Great Migration • Emancipation Proclamation • End of the Civil War CLICK ONE • Reconstruction • PUSHED from the South • PULLED to the North • Life in the North Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Part 1 Emancipation Proclamation Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North On January 1, 1863, about half-way through the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which begins with the words: “. . . all persons held as slaves. . . shall be. . . forever free. . . ” Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The Emancipation Proclamation encouraged hope among slaves. Next you will examine a drawing titled “Emancipation” by Thomas Nast, an artist during Civil War times. The following diagram will help you understand the drawing. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The Drawing is a Timeline with 3 Sections On this side Mr. Nast shows slave life BEFORE the The center shows Mr. Nast a free predicts African-American life family AT THE TIME OF AFTER the Emancipation the Proclamation Emancipation Proclamation Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Emancipation - by Thomas Nast Click on the Runaway salves are hunted down in a swamp. Woman holds the olive branch of PEACE and the scales of JUSTICE. for descriptions Man is sold at a slave auction without his wife and children. Female slave is beaten while her husband is branded. Home Free black family rejoices because of of the drawing. the Emancipation Proclamation. Black mother sends her children to free public school. Abraham Lincoln, U. S. President and author of the Emancipation Proclamation. Free black man receives his pay from a cashier. Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Your Reflections on the ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ 1. You have viewed images of : Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and Thomas Nast’s timeline drawing. 2. Now go the Emancipation Proclamation reflections page in your Freedom Journal. 3. Write your reflections on John Nast’s Emancipation Proclamation drawing. (Go back to the image when writing. ) Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Part 2 End of the Civil War Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The War Left The South In Ruin Click to find out more. Crossing the North Edisto - By William Waud Photograph - by Russell Lee Photograph - Confederate Money Property Money Travel Confederate money becamethe South Farmland buildings in worthless Roads, railroad tracks when the in the battles war. were destroyed. South lost the of the war. and bridges were destroyed. This meant that foundation is all that This chimney and many Southerners When it is hard to travel fromwas ended. place to place were in of a wealthy plantation home. remains poverty when the it becomes difficult to conduct business. Close Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Mustered Out - by Alfred R. Waud The following drawing by Civil War artist Alfred R. Waud, sometimes called “Mustered Out”, shows African-American Soldiers celebrating and greeting their families as they return home at the end of the war. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Celebration of Abolition in Washington, D. C. by F. Dielman The next drawing by Civil War artist F. Dielman shows a celebration of the abolition of slavery in Washington D. C. about one year after the war ended. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Reflections on the ‘End of the Civil War ‘ 1. You have viewed images of: The South at the end of the Civil War, Alfred Waud’s “Mustered Out” and F. Dielman’s “Celebration in Washington, D. C. 2. Now go the ‘End of the Civil War’ reflections page in your Freedom Journal. 3. Write your reflections on one of the images listed above. (Go back to the image when writing. ) Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Part 3 Reconstruction Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The Reconstruction Act Click to find out more. What was it? Why do it? Did it work? Home Reconstruction had two main goals: it was At first Reconstruction seemed like The Reconstruction Act was a plan written working. help rebuild the South 1. To As time went by too many by Congress to help restore the South problems came up. After 10 years 2. devastation of the Civil War. after the To help Southern whites and blacks Reconstruction was over. It had failed. live in freedom peacefully. Close Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The Freedmen’s Bureau - A. R. Waud One reason Reconstruction seemed to be working at first was the Freedmen’s Bureau. It was formed to teach ex-slaves to read and write and to help them find jobs. The next drawing by Alfred R. Waud, is titled “The Freedmen’s Bureau”. Home In this drawing the man in the middle represents the Freedmen’s Bureau as Click HERE to find out more. it tried to solve problems between white Southerners and ex-slaves. Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Drawing for Harpers Weekly At the beginning of Reconstruction many ex-slaves in the South were able to vote. This drawing shows an ex-slave Click HERE to find out more. voting for the first time. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Photograph - So. Carolina Legislature Some ex-slaves were even voted into office. This photograph shows the South Carolina Click HERE to war, which legislature after the find out more. clearly includes African-Americans. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Reflections on ‘Early Reconstruction’ 1. You have viewed images of: The Freedmen’s Bureau. The South Carolina Legislature. 2. Now go the Early Reconstruction reflections page in your Freedom Journal. 3. Write your reflections on The Freedmen’s Bureau drawing. (Go back to the image when writing. ) Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Part 4 Pushed from the South Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Two Main Reasons African-Americans Were PUSHED from the South (The same reasons reconstruction failed. ) Click to find out more. Poverty Most ex-slaves in the South became sharecroppers or took menial themselves Most white southerners believed jobs. They to be could notto African-Americans. to support superior make enough money their families. Prejudice Close Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The first reason African–Americans were PUSHED out of the South was that they could not make enough money to survive. After the Civil War most ex-slaves could only get low paying jobs. . . or they become sharecroppers. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Sharecropping seemed The Life a Sharecropper like a good idea at first. Click to find out more. Photograph by Ben Stahn Photograph by Arthur Rothstein An ex-slave family could Home live on a farm, work the fields, and share the profits. Work It didn’t work because there were not enough profits. Sharecroppers went into debt. Evicted A sharecropper family on their bills When they couldn’t paythe side of the road… A Sharecropper’s because evicted from the plowing a field. A sharecropper farm House. they could not pay their debts. they were evicted. Close Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation Click to find out more. End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Menial Jobs Photograph - Street Venders Photograph - Working on a River Photograph -- Drying Venders Photograph Street Cotton River Work Cotton Factory Ex-slaves that weren’t sharecroppers took menial labor jobs that paid very little wages. Street Vendors Dock Workers The work was hard and exhausting. Men carrying ina a rice Two men working cottonbags factory in Florida. Street vendorsaton ofriver Drying on rafts Georgia. on a shipping dock. Close Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The second reason African–Americans were PUSHED out of the South was due to the racism of the white southerners. The South began to pass laws that took away the freedoms of African-Americans. It became a hostile and dangerous place for ex-slaves to live. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North This is a White Man’s Government - by Thomas Nast Written on club: “A vote”. Written on knife: “The Lost Cause”. The racism of the South Click on the Written can be seen in the next image on wallet: “Capital (money) for Votes” by Thomas Nast, “This is a White Man’s. African-American on ground Government”, to find out about under the feet of white men. a political cartoon the next image. “CSA” that shows the prejudice belt buckle. (Confederate States of America) of white southerners. African-American orphanage in flames. African-American children lynched near the burning buildings. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The Ku Klux Klan Early Poster - Ku Klux Klan Photograph - Klan Members Painting - Cross Burning Click to find out more. A racist group, the Ku Klux Klan, Poster was started by ex-Confederates after the Civil War. Their goal: Oppose Reconstruction. Klan Dress Activities Their primary belief: White Supremacy. The Ku Klux Klan held midnight meetings where they promoted The white robes and head coverings of the hatred, terrorism and set crosses on fire. They often tortured Ku Klux Klan was poster by represent by and even killed African-Americansshows a klansmen as a This early Ku Klux Klan intended toburning or thelynching ghostswarrior, stompingwhoan African-American. racist of Confederates on died in the Civil War. Close Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The South began to pass laws that took away the freedoms and rights that were won for African-Americans in the Civil War. These laws came to be known as Jim Crow Laws. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The Jim Crow Laws Jim Crow was an African-American comedian and entertainer. Naming the new laws after a character he played was a further insult to African Americans. Bus. White for the whitesseparate At. African-American a Africana cannotmust blind: stations teach in Restaurantsand seatserve bothcannot Theatreshomemust provideschooltaken African-Americans and barberbe. African-American provideand. African. Teachers who African-Americanin An. African-Americanis whiteseparate An. Railroadscannot standan the Once and whites must bestudents in textbook whites housed andthat Americans a for whiteswhitethe by waitinggo African-American be rooms thein person. Click toof aforcannot must to on be There same Americans same it hascannot as by theand flagscannot samecars hair andstudent, waiting Americansof children cannotwhite cutline together. when school. both white a African-American the African-Americanbuildings. care African-Americans. separate the nurse. people. Theytickets toareasuporeach. passengers afinedcircus. studentsmust serve for the other. separate will by and one to $50. buyused be white classroom. student. not be seating for examples of Jim Crow Laws. passengers. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Reflections on ‘Pushed from the South’ 1. You have viewed images of: Poverty in the South (menial jobs & sharecropping). Prejudice in the South (Ku Klux Klan & Jim Crow Laws). 2. Now go the Pushed from the South reflections page in your Freedom Journal. 3. Write your reflections on at least one of the images from ‘Pushed from the South”. (Go back to the image when writing. ) Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Part 5 Pulled to the North Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Three Main Reasons African-Americans were PULLED to the North Click to find out more. The Chicago Defender Jobs in the North Friends & Family Home The Chicago Defender was an important and powerful There were many jobs in living in African-Americans who werethe North the African-American newspaper. because the Industrial Revolution North encouraged those in the South to caused many factories to be built in move away from the poverty and racial Northern cities. It encouraged African-Americans prejudice. to move to the North. It even helped them find jobs and places to live. Close Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation Click to find out more. Robert Abbott End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North The Chicago Defender Photograph of the First Chicago Defender Building Photograph of a Chicago Defender Newsboy Photograph of Robert Abbott A Chicago Defender Headline Chicago Defender grew to become the most important black newspaper in the country. Building It fought for black rights and against racism. The newspaper persuaded Headline thousands of southern blacks to. The Chicago Defender published news migratethe terrorism against north. of African-Americans in the It even organized aid for travelers. South. Newsboy The first issues of The Chicago Defender were It urged African-Americans to move Robert in the kitchen of last 25 cents and some printed Abbott used his John Abbott’sthe This newsboyto start The Chicago Defender to them about landlord. borrowed the. North, tellingbecame successful, it money worked in Chicago selling Later, opportunities to overcome poverty. newspaper Theas became the country’s first self-made in 1905. Chicago Defender on street corners. He into this building in Chicago. moved African-American millionaire. Close Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Jobs in the North It was true Pho to y e Bo shin gra- Shoe p ph h - W ra oma otog n in Ph Fa Drawing - Servant & Employer Photograph - Construction Crew that there were many jobs available Click to find out more. ctor for African-Americans in the North. Industry Jobs y Photograph. Men in Factory Some African-Americans found Photo jobs in factories graph - Doin g. L aundr y or in construction. Menial Labor However, many African-Americans who moved North could only get jobs that were Some African-Americans could only find jobs Some African-Americans found factory and construction jobs wealthy labor. they wereas servants forinmenialwhite people. made low-paying, the North where enough money to support their families. This Here you see a woman washing a family’s work also gave them self-confidence and hope. clothes, a black man-servant and a shoeshine boy. Home Close Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Moving North to Friends & Family Click to find out more. Some went North after the Proclamation. Women moving to Kansas. Large family moving on a cart. Some were able to go by boat. Many African-Americans Family moving after invention of the car. Family reunited in the North. made the decision Photograph - Ex-Slaves Migrating to move to Photograph the North Exodus - Negro Photograph by Photograph - Family Reunited. Kansas Ex-Slaves Migrating toof the Proclamation Drawing - Effects in the North Strohmeyer & Wyman at the urging of friends and relatives who were already there. Home Close 6 lose Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Your Reflections on ‘Pulled to the North’ 1. You have viewed images of: The Chicago Defender Jobs in the North Moving North toward Family & Friends 2. Now go the Pulled to the North reflections page in your Freedom Journal. 3. Write your reflections on one of the ‘Pulled to the North’ images. (Go back to the image when writing. ) Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Part 6 Life in the North Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North was a big improvement over life in the South for many African-Americans. At the same time, others found it was difficult to get a good paying, reliable job. They lived in poverty in the North as they did in the South. They also found racial prejudice in the North that affected their everyday lives, where they could live and how much money they could make. Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation Click to find out more. Children without Prejudice End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Some Dreams Came True in the North African-American neighborhood in Chicago Well-Dressed Women at a Fair Business Owned by African. American Integrated Classroom Entertainers Photograph - Only Negro Store Photograph - Playmates Photograph by F. B. Johnston Photograph - Classroom Photograph - Floorshow Photograph - South State St. Chicago Home Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation Click to find out more. Overcrowded Living Conditions in Small Apartments End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Some Dreams did not Come True Affordable Housing was Run- down Lower Wages for Blacks than for Whites Racist Poster for Chicago World’s Fair Low Wages for Domestic Work Low Wages for Factory Work Photograph - Picketing for Equal Wages Photograph - Nanny & Children Photograph - Family Photograph - Factory Work Drawing -F. R. Opper Home Photograph - Black Tenement Life Back Next

A Final Thought The Northward movement of African-Americans continued until the 1960’s, almost 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War. The conditions in the North did not turn out to be as hoped, and African-Americans have continued to struggle for Home their rights as freemen. Back Next

Emancipation Proclamation End of the Civil War Reconstruction Pushed from the South Pulled to the North Life in the North Your Reflections on ‘Pulled to the North’ 1. You have viewed images of dreams that DID and DID NOT come true 2. Now go the Life in the North reflections page in your Freedom Journal. 3. Write your reflections on two of the ‘Life in the North’ images… one for dreams that came true, one for dreams that didn’t. (Go back to the image when writing. ) Home Back Next

Vocabulary abolition auction mustered out Confederate prejudice domestic work quest emancipate racism evict sharecropper exodus tenement legislature Home migration white supremacy Back Next

Written and Created by Barbara Hull Nathan Hale Middle School, Crestwood, Illinois through the sponsorship of Governors State University and The Library of Congress An Adventure of the American Mind / American Memory Collection Home Back