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The Civil War
The Civil War was fought between the northern states, the union, and southern states, the confederacy. The South wanted to secede because they did not agree with Lincoln's plan for the country and they were fearful that he would abolish slavery. The North, with the support of Lincoln, wanted to preserve unity of the country. The North won the war and the states were united under Lincoln. This was significant because it was the only war that in part fought for the rights of African Americans. -
Jim Crow Laws
After the reconstruction period which followed the Civil War, the idea of white supremacy was spreading. The Jim Crow Laws were soon enacted and they enforced racial segregation in the South. African Americans were forced to work on the land as part of the new sharecropping system and they reduced many freedoms. This was significant because it acted as a push-factor for African Americans to leave the South and bring their culture elsewhere. -
Founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
This organization was created in response to riots, lynchings, and oppression of African Americans. They hoped to bring a feeling of acceptance to the black community and help them embrace their culture. They strove to ensure equality in all aspects for African Americans everywhere. This organization is still standing today. This was significant because it was the first organization to bring awareness for African Americans and their culture, as well as acting as a unifying factor between them. -
World War I
Many white workers from the north left their jobs to fight in the war, creating a shortage in industrial labor. The availability of jobs became a pull factor for African Americans who wanted to seek a better life for themselves and their families. The new job openings of the North helped them achieve that. -
The Great Migration
The Great Migration was a time where white supremacy was at a high in the South. The African Americans migrated from the South to the North. Although they weren’t welcomed with open arms, the North offered more opportunities for all African Americans to have a better life with more freedom. Once African Americans moved to the north, there were many more jobs available to them because of the increasing industrialization. This brought them together to share in experiences and cultural differences. -
The Creation of Jazz
Jazz was created to give African Americans a way to express themselves through music. Many popular singers of the time were Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. They used saxophones, trumpets, pianos, double bass, and drums to create unique jazz music. This was one of the first ways African Americans came together and changed 'the arts' during the Harlem Renaissance. -
The Silent Protest Parade
A protest parade organized by the NAACP. Thousands of African Americans silently marched to protest the violence and abuse towards African Americans. This parade was supposed to influence Woodrow Wilson to set anti-lynching laws in place.This was the first parade for African American civil rights. This was significant because it showed the already strong union African Americans held; this unity would only get stronger in the Harlem Renaissance. -
Summer of 1919 (Red Summer)
After World War I, whites wanted to resort to their pre-war status quo, rather than accepting them and appreciating all the work that had done. They did this by essentially putting them in a lower class and when they rebelled, and it created the most violent summer, which consisted of race riots and lynchings. Hundreds of people, mostly African Americans, were killed and thousands more were injured. This event unified African Americans by allowing them to share their experiences with others. -
Civic Club Dinner
This dinner, hosted by Charles Spurgeon Johnson, brought together both African American and white writers and publishers. This essentially foreshadowed the Harlem Renaissance and how writers would be able to work together to convey their ideas without prejudice. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a time of economic downfall after the stock market crash in October 1929. This wiped out millions of investors and by 1933 about 14 million Americans were unemployed due to a lack of funding. The term Depression refers to both the stock market decline and also the fact that many became extremely pessimistic. The Great Depression ended the Harlem Renaissance because the lack of money and jobs tore people apart.
