The Second Great Migration (1940-1970) differed from the First Great Migration (1910-1940) in a key way: the destinations of African American migrants and the overall scale.
1. Scale of Migration:
- The First Great Migration saw approximately 1.6 million African Americans move from the rural Southern United States to urban areas in the Northern United States, driven largely by labor shortages and the opportunities presented by World War I and the subsequent boom in Northern industrial jobs.
- The Second Great Migration was even larger, with about 5 million African Americans moving, not only to Northern cities but also to Western cities. This migration was influenced by World War II and the continuation of the defense industry's growth, which created even more job opportunities and attracted more migrants.
2. Destinations:
- During the First Great Migration, African Americans primarily moved to established Northern and Midwestern cities such as Chicago, New York, Detroit, and Cleveland.
- The Second Great Migration saw a broader range of destinations. African Americans migrated to not only Northern cities but also to urban centers in the Western United States, such as Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle. This reflected the broader distribution of wartime industrial jobs and the development of new defense-related industries across the country.
In summary, while both migrations involved African Americans moving from the Southern United States to urban areas in search of better economic opportunities, the Second Great Migration was larger in scale and included a broader range of destinations, particularly in the Western United States.
