Push and Pull Factors of the Great Migration

The Great Migration (1910–1970): Why 6 Million African Americans Moved North and West

Push Factors (South)

• Economic collapse: Boll weevil devastated cotton economy → poverty, unemployment.
• Racial oppression: Segregation, lynching, disenfranchisement, Jim Crow laws.
• Limited opportunity: Denied education, healthcare, skilled jobs.

Pull Factors (North/West/Midwest)

• Industrial jobs: Factory work, higher wages.
• Political rights: Voting, office-holding, jury service.
• Better schools: More schools, integrated options.
• Social freedom: Integrated neighborhoods, churches, organizations.

The Great Migration reshaped American demographics, culture, and politics, laying groundwork for the civil rights movement.