Author:
Woodson Collaborative
Subject:
History/Social Sciences, American History, Economics, Virginia History
Material Type:
Lesson
Level:
Middle School
Tags:
  • African American
  • Black American
  • Dooley
  • Economic
  • Great Migration
  • Maymont
  • US-II
  • Woodson Collaborative
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial
    Language:
    English
    Media Formats:
    Downloadable docs, Text/HTML

    An Escape from Jim Crow

    An Escape from Jim Crow

    Overview

    This activity explores the push and pull of moving from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for 4 siblings during the 1920s by examining primary and secondary sources and using a decision-making model. This activity includes topics such as the impact of segregation and discrimination against African Americans, and the impact of Black migration from the south to the north.

    INSTRUCTOR PAGE

    An Escape from Jim Crow

    US II / 6th Grade

    Authors: Krista Weatherford (Maymont Foundation)

     

    Task Overview: This activity explores the push and pull of moving from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for 4 siblings during the 1920s by examining primary and secondary sources and using a decision-making model. This activity includes topics such as the impact of segregation and discrimination against African Americans, and the impact of Black migration from the south to the north.

     

    Targeted SOLs: 

    US II.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship.

    US II.4 The student will apply social science skills to understand how life changed after the Civil War.

    US II.6 The student will apply social science skills to understand the social, economic, and technological changes of the early twentieth century.

     

    Unpacked Standards:

    Know (facts)

    Understand (concepts)

    Do (skills)

    • Characteristics of the Jim Crow era on the lives of African Americans
    • Definitions
    • Population changes in the south and north
    • Cause and effects of Black migration on northern cities

     

     

     

     

    Push and Pull factors for Migration and

    how these decisions impact communities, states, and the nation

    US II.1a: analyzing and interesting artifacts and primary and secondary sources to understand events in United States history.

    USII.1c: interpreting charts, graphs, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places or events in United States history.

    USII.1e: comparing and contrasting historical, cultural, and political perspectives in United States history.

    USII.1h: using a decision-making model to identify costs and benefits of a specific choice made.

    USII.1j: investigating and researching to develop products orally and in writing.

    USII.4c: describing racial segregation, the rise of “Jim Crow,” and other constraints faced by African Americans and other groups in the post-Reconstruction South.

    USII.6b: describing the social and economic changes that took place, including prohibition and the Great Migration north and west.

     

    Instructor Directions:

     

    Part I:             Exploring Push and Pull Factors of Black Migration, 1916-1930

     

    Driving Question: Why did African Americans move in such large numbers from the south to the north and west during 1916-1930?

     

    1. The Great Migration and the Power of a Single Decision (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)-- TedTalk by Isabel Wilkerson

    Have students watch the video linked above and take notes using attached viewing guide.

     

    1. Using page 1 of the attached document, Push and Pull Factors of Migration, have a discussion about why people move.  Use the following questions to facilitate the discussion:
    • By show of hands, how many of you were born in another place other than Virginia?

    Of those who raised their hands, ask willing students to share the answers to these questions:

    • Where were you born?
    • Why did you/your family move?
    • How did you/your family make the decision to move? How did you.your family make the decision on where to move to?
    •  Was the move all that you/your family expected? Did you/your family find the opportunities you thought you would?

    Ask the whole class, if they could move anywhere in the world, where would they move? Why that location? What would impact your decision on if, when or where you would move?

     

    Maymont Mansion and the Dooleys of Richmond (Optional) -- This resource is provided to help students understand Maymont and its history in the context of the time period of the Gilded Age versus the Jim Crow era. By clicking on the link they can view the slide presentation.

     

    The second page of the Push and Pull Factors of Migration document facilitates an activity for students to use primary and secondary sources within the story map to identify push and pull factors for migrating. The directions for the activity are below:

     

    Explore this story map (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited) to learn about 4 employees who worked at Maymont, all from the same family, who moved from the Richmond area to northern cities in the 1920s and 1930s. Others within this same family stayed in Richmond or Virginia.

     

    Part II:           Exploring the Impacts of Migration to Northern Cities

     

    Driving Question: What impact did the Great Migration have on the northern cities they fled to and their new lives?

     

    Directions: Have students use Exploring the Impacts of Migration (see attached) to assist them in exploring these interactive resources which provide a visualization of the impacts of the Great Migration on northern cities where they relocated to. The links to the resources are provided below as well as in the student page.

     

    Virginia Migration History

    Visualizing the Great Migration

     

    Facilitate a discussion using the following resources and questions below. Here is a great resource to assist in facilitating the discussion (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited). Allow students to explore the resources and conduct additional research with internet searches to consider the following questions using the Independent Research organizer (see attached).

     

    Effects of the Great Migration on Philadelphia, PA (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited) -- what effects does the Great Migration have on Philadelphia?

     

    Philadelphia Race Riot of 1918 (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)

     

                Questions for a facilitated dialog:

    • How were some of the reactions people had when the newcomers moved into their communities?
    • What were the conflicts between the white populations with the influx of so many African Americans? What were the conflicts between the established African Americans and the newcomers within the Black communities?
    • How were opportunities/discrimination for the newcomers similar or different from where they came from in the south?
    • What were your thoughts when you read about the Race Riot of 1918 in Philadelphia?
    • What new insight came up for you?
    • How will this help you or motivate you to do things differently?

     

    Part III:          Student Voice and Choice

    Driving Question: How can you (students) share what they have learned from this series of activities on the Great Migration?

    Directions: Have students brainstorm important messages that resonated with each of them. Instruct them to use the Project Choice Board and Guiding Questions documents (see attached) to to provide options for them to create a meaningful presentation. Students are welcome to decide on additional options not included on the choice board. Share your expectations, project rubric, grading policy, and deadlines with students. Students may use a Presentation Planning Map (see attached) to assist them in completing the goal and objectives of the project.

     

     

    Resources:

    Maymont Specific

    1. Maymont Mansion and the Dooleys of Richmond (attached)-- this background presentation will help students understand who the Dooleys were and their social status in the Richmond community.
    2. virtual exhibition (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)
    3. story map (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited) and the Push and Pull Factors of Migration (attached)
    4. Race Relations Historical Timeline (1866-1926) -- optional (assist students to put Great Migration into historical context)
    5. Student Independent Research organizer (attached)
    6. Guiding Questions (attached)
    7. Project Choice Board (attached)
    8. Presentation Planning Map (attached)

     

    Great Migration Population Changes

    1. The Great Migration and the Power of a Single Decision and companion Viewing Guide document (attached). (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)
    2. Exploring the Impacts of Migration (attached)
    3. Virginia Migration History -- University of Washington; look at the outmigration: Virginians living in other states; using the year slide note the changes in locations where African American Virginians were moving to over time;   (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)
    4. Census Data for the Great Migration, 1910-1970
    5. Visualizing the Great Migration (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)
    6. America’s Great Migrations (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited) --University of Washington
    7. map Southern Journey
    8. Tips on facilitating effective group discussions (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)
    9. Effects of the Great Migration on Philadelphia, PA (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)-- what effects does the Great Migration have on Philadelphia?
    10. Philadelphia Race Riot of 1918 (note that this information is copyrighted and may not be downloaded or edited)

     

    STUDENT PAGE

     

    An Escape from Jim Crow

    Part I:             Exploring Push and Pull Factors of Black Migration, 1916-1930

     

    Driving Question: Why did African Americans move in such large numbers from the south to the north and west during 1916-1930?

     

    1. The Great Migration and the Power of a Single Decision -- TedTalk by Isabel Wilkerson

    Directions: Watch the video linked above and take notes using the Viewing Guide document

     

    1. Study page 1 of the document, Push and Pull Factors of Migration.Think about the following questions: 
    • Were born in another place other than Virginia? If yes, continue with these questions. If no, skip down to the next set of questions.
      • Where were you born?
      • Why did you/your family move?
      • How did you/your family make the decision to move? How did you.your family make the decision on where to move to?
      • Was the move all that you/your family expected? Did you/your family find the opportunities you thought you would?

     

    • If they could move anywhere in the world, where would you move?
      • Why that location?
      • What would impact your decision on if, when or where you would move?

     

    1. Maymont Mansion and the Dooleys of Richmond -- This resource is provided to help you  understand Maymont and its history in the context of the time period of the Gilded Age versus the Jim Crow era. By clicking on the link you can view the slide presentation. Be sure to visit our virtual exhibition to learn more about the African American employees at Maymont.

     

    1. Read the Background section below.

     

     

    Background

    The Great Migration, as historians have come to call it, is the movement of black Americans out of the south to northern and western cities. There were 2 waves of the migration: 1) approximately 1916 to 1940 which modern historians estimate approximately 1.5 million African Americans moved north and/or west, and 2) 1940-1970. This lesson will look at the Great Migration as during 1916-1970.  Overall, approximately 6 million African Americans moved out of the south. Maymont had 4 employees all from the same family that moved from the Richmond area to northern cities in the 1920s and 1930s, while others within this same family stayed in Richmond or Virginia.

     

    Abraham, Joseph, John Thomas, Mary, Hannah and Frances worked at various times for the Dooleys at Maymont between 1919-1925. Their mother, Frances Twiggs Walker, was the head cook during those years. Of these children that were employed at Maymont, four of them moved north.

     

    Directions: Explore this story map and the second page of the Push and Pull Factors of Migration document to identify push and pull factors for migrating from primary and secondary sources.

     

     

    Part II:           Exploring the Impacts of Migration to Northern Cities

     

    Driving Question: What impact did the Great Migration have on the northern cities they fled to and their new lives?

     

    Directions:

    1. Use Exploring the Impacts of Migration to assist you in exploring these interactive resources which provide a visualization of the impacts of the Great Migration on northern cities.

     

    Virginia Migration History 

    Visualizing the Great Migration

     

    1. Explore the additional resources below to learn about interactions between people who were established residents of Philadelphia and the new migrants. Search for additional resources that can describe interactions between established residents and new migrants and how were opportunities/discrimination in the new locations similar or different from the south. Record them in this document -- Independent Research organizer.

     

    Effects of the Great Migration on Philadelphia, PA -- what effects does the Great Migration have on Philadelphia?

     

    Philadelphia Race Riot of 1918

     

     

    Part III:          Student Voice and Choice

    Driving Question: How can you (students) share what they have learned from this series of activities on the Great Migration?

    Directions: Brainstorm important messages that resonate with you. The Project Choice Board and Guiding Questions documents can provide options to create a meaningful presentation. You are welcome to decide on additional options not included on the choice board. Follow your teacher’s expectations, grading policy, and deadlines. The Presentation Planning map can assist you in completing the goal and objectives of your project.

     

     

      By the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative, 2021