Before we begin to study the Great Migration itself, it will be helpful to have at least some understanding of the state of the country after the Civil War. This period from 1865 to 1877 is known as "Reconstruction." The term refers to the efforts to rebuild the country in the wake of the war and, most importantly, to build a political structure that would guarantee newly emancipated African Americans the rights of citizenship. Reconstruction is often overlooked, overshadowed by the war itself and the era of Jim Crow terrorism and discrimination that followed. But it does illustrate how African Americans exercised political and economic agency, building communities that were self-sufficient and electing representatives to local and national offices who would protect their rights. Reconstruction also demonstrates the insidious nature of White supremacy, the ideological force responsible for the failure of Reconstruction. Module 1:A features the documentary "Reconstruction" which discusses the social, political, and economic situation of African Americans immediately following the Civil War. African Americans enjoyed a brief period of political power and economic advancement that was ultimately thwarted by the forces of White supremacy. Module 1:B uses secondary sources (books and articles that analyze a time period) to discuss the demographic, political, and economic forces that shaped the lives of African Americans who would eventually leave the South in the first half of the 20th century. Immediately following the Civil War, newly emancipated African Americans anticipated a future that would allow them to enjoy all the rights and privileges of citizenship. It quickly became apparent that White Americans in the South were reluctant to share political power or treat African Americans as equals. It was equally apparent that White Americans in other parts of the country were unwilling - and sometimes unable - to use their privilege to support Black citizens. Watch two of the films (either 1 and 3 or 2 and 4). In the Module 1A discussion post, describe one event that indicated a positive and hopeful future of equality and full citizenship, and one event that indicated a negative and demoralizing future of political, social, and economic marginalization. ("Event" can be interpreted as broadly or as narrowly as you like - a person, law, experience, debate, etc.). Be specific and provide enough context so that your answer is clear to anyone who has not seen the film. For example, instead of saying "Blanch Bruce was an African American senator" you might say, "Blanch Bruce was born in slavery but went on to be elected the second African American to serve in the senate from 1875 to 1881." NB: The links below take you to the library website. After you log in, you'll end up at "Alexander Street Films." If there's a problem, follow this link to the library catalog: Reconstruction. The "Great Migration" refers to a historical and cultural phenomenon broadly defined by the movement of African Americans from the South to the North and West, and from small rural towns to larger urban cities. This movement took place in a series of waves that began at the end of Reconstruction (1877), crested during World War I, and again during World War II. Each wave was instigated by economic forces such as the decline of agriculture and the rise of industrialization, but was also a response to racial violence and political marginalization. This is widely considered the single largest internal migration in the US -- an estimated 6 million African Americans left the region from the early to mid-20th century -- and it had profound consequences for African Americans and the country as a whole. The US economy was shaped by the movement of so many laborers from agricultural to industrial work. All forms of American popular music today could not exist were it not for the movement of jazz and blues musicians out of the South. African American artists - painters, poets, writers, opera singers - were liberated by the Great Migration. They and their children - Toni Morrison, John Coltrane, Richard Wright, Miles Davis, Jacob Lawrence -- would go on to create some of the great works of American art. The secondary sources below define the Great Migration based on economic and political facts, but also discuss the social and cultural implications of the Great Migration. Why did African Americans leave the only homes they had ever known? Were they driven out by political forces or lured away by economic forces? How did mass migration affect regional economies? Did African Americans gain or lose political clout by leaving the South? Did the advantages of leaving outweigh the disadvantages of staying