Migration Dbq

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Ban Ki-Moon once said "Migration is an expression of the human aspiration for dignity, safety and a better future. It is part of the social fabric, part of our very makeup as a human family." What he meant by this is that the arise of opportunities and circumstances has been a major cause for large scale migrations as viewed throughout the history of the United States. Additionally, large scale migrations have not only aduce the growth of the United States but they have also had an impact on the United States socially, economically and politically. For instance, westward expansion during the 1800s has influenced the nation in varying degrees, as well as the movement of African Americans to northern cities in search for a better life. The …show more content…
This can be supported by Documents 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4a, 4b and 5.

During the 1800s, the belief of Manifest Destiny was a major factor for westward expansion. For instance, this belief that America should expand from coast to coast and that it was a divine right given by God led to the annexation of Texas. Along with the Louisiana purchase, the vast amount of land America now acquire led to the ratification of several pieces of legislation to encourage westward expansion in order to strengthen the nation's economy. One piece of legislation that
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This large scale migration is also referred to as the Great Migration. Moreover, one of the reasons why African Americans decided to migrate to the North was because of the racial discrimination in the South, unsatisfactory economic opportunities and harsh segregationist laws. For instance, according to Document 4a it quotes "I am fed up, With Jim Crow laws, People who are cruel, And afraid, Who lynch and run, Who are scared of me, And me of them". This shows that African Americans decided to move to northern cities due to the fact that Jim Crow laws in the South vastly increased segregation by following the "separate but equal" doctrine. Additionally, several attempts were made to deny certain rights to African Americans. Examples of this include black codes, literacy tests, poll taxes and the grandfather clause. In addition, they were also forced to make their living by working the land as part of the sharecropping system. To make matters worse the arise of the Ku Klux Khan led to social inequality for African Americans becasue members of this group would drag African Americans out of their homes and lynch them. Based on this factors African Americans had the sentiment that going North would grant them more opportunities because they saw that they weren't going anywhere if they stayed in the South. According to Document 4b it