What were the main causes of the Great Migration?

The Great Migration, which occurred predominantly from the 1910s to the 1970s, was primarily driven by racial discrimination and economic opportunities in the North. African Americans in the southern United States faced severe oppression, including Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and limited their civil rights. These discriminatory practices created intolerable living conditions, prompting many to seek a better life elsewhere.

At the same time, the industrialization of the North presented new job opportunities in factories and industries due to a labor shortage, particularly during World War I and the following decades. The promise of employment, the chance for a better standard of living, and the hope of escaping systemic racism attracted many African Americans to northern cities.

This migration significantly transformed the demographics of the U.S. and contributed to the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, among other societal changes. Consequently, the combination of escaping racial discrimination and the pursuit of economic opportunities makes this choice the most accurate representation of the causes behind the Great Migration.