Getting Started - America's Great Migration - Greensburg Campus

The Great Migration

"This seminar explores the largest internal migration in the history of the United States. From 1915 to 1945, over 1.6 million African Americans moved from rural communities in the South to urban industrial centers in the North. Historians call this the “Great Migration.”

In this course, we will examine the causes of the migration, consider the subsequent formation of vibrant urban Black communities, and investigate the development of systemic inequities in inner-city neighborhoods that remain with us today—especially regarding employment opportunities, health-related issues, and policing practices. We will also consider the numerous and sometimes contrasting ways that African Americans and their allies combatted these inequities and pursued social justice.." --Syllabus for HIST 1323

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Find a topic for which you have a keen interest or passion.
Do some background reading noting any important names, dates, or resources.
Go to the library catalog to locate books (print and online books) and to the library databases to locate articles in electronic journals. These can help point to primary sources.
Search for books/articles/documents mentioned in the books and articles you have located.
Go to primary source databases and search. This might require extra patience and time.
Leave yourself enough time to identify useful primary sources and access them.

Finding Helpful Background Information

Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895 This link opens in a new window
The Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895 documents the full range of the African American experience during that period—from the arrival of the first slave ship to the death of Frederick Douglass—and shows how all aspects of American culture, history, and national identity have been profoundly influenced by the experience of African Americans.
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896-present This link opens in a new window
The Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896-present is a companion volume to the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895. It contains over 1200 cross-referenced entries with coverage up to and including the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

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University of Pittsburgh Library System

Course & Subject Guides

America's Great Migration - Greensburg Campus

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The Great Migration

Tips for Locating Sources

Finding Helpful Background Information

PittCat

Request Material in PittCat