Post-Second World War: the Move Back to the Old South (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes

Post-Second World War: the Move Back to the Old South

Introduction: a reversal in migration patterns

The migration of black Americans had a profound impact on their economic, political and social lives throughout the post-Civil War period. By the end of the Second World War in 1945, a dramatic shift had occurred: more black Americans now lived in urban areas than in rural areas. This urbanization continued to accelerate in the following decades.

By 1970, black Americans had become more urbanized than the general American population:

• 80% of black Americans lived in cities
• 70% of the general American population lived in cities
• Only 53% of black Americans remained in the Old South
• 40% lived in north-eastern and mid-western states
• 7% lived in the western states

However, after the Second World War—and particularly from the 1960s onwards—a profound change occurred: black Americans began moving back to the Old South from the northern states they had migrated to during the Great Migration.

The pattern of return migration

The movement back to the Old South represented a significant reversal of previous migration patterns. Statistical evidence reveals the scale of this change:

1965-1970: Approximately two-thirds of black American migrants who moved to the Old South were return migrants—people returning to the area of their own birth or their parents' birth.

1975-1980: At least 41% of black American migrants moving south were classified as return migrants.

This demonstrated that the return to the Old South was not simply about seeking new opportunities in unfamiliar places, but represented a genuine homecoming for many families.

Economic reasons for the return: the decline of the Rust Belt

The rise of the Rust Belt

A major push factor driving black Americans away from northern cities was the dramatic economic decline of what became known as the Rust Belt. This term referred to areas of the USA experiencing severe industrial decline during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York.

The decline was particularly severe in heavy industries such as:

• Steelmaking
• Car manufacture
• Other large-scale manufacturing

This industrial collapse was accelerated by the oil crisis of 1973, which dealt a devastating blow to manufacturing centres across the north-east and mid-west.

The Detroit example

Regional manufacturing decline and growth

The shift in manufacturing output between different regions of America tells a clear story about where economic opportunity was moving.

Once-booming cities in Michigan, such as Flint, became areas of social deprivation and high unemployment. These deteriorating conditions in northern cities became powerful push factors, encouraging black Americans to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Economic reasons for the return: the growth of the Sun Belt

New opportunities in the Old South

While northern industrial cities declined, the Old South experienced rapid economic growth from the 1970s onwards. This growth created what became known as the Sun Belt—a region offering far better job opportunities than the declining Rust Belt.

Key Sun Belt states included:

• Florida
• Georgia
• Texas

These states experienced:

• Rapid economic expansion
• Creation of new job opportunities
• More favorable business conditions
• Better economic prospects than northern cities

For black Americans facing limited opportunities in northern inner cities, the Sun Belt represented a chance for economic advancement and a better quality of life.

Push factors: fleeing the inner cities

Beyond economic decline, black Americans were also fleeing the deteriorating social conditions in northern inner cities. These urban areas had become characterized by:

• High crime rates
• Limited job opportunities
• Poor housing conditions
• Social deprivation
• Lack of economic mobility

The combination of economic decline, rising crime, and limited opportunities created powerful incentives for families to consider returning to the South, where conditions were improving and new opportunities were emerging.

Pull factors: family and kinship ties

While economic factors played an important role in encouraging return migration, family and kinship reasons remained one of the most important factors pulling black Americans back to the Old South, especially in the early years of return migration.

Evidence from Birmingham, Alabama (1973)

The Great Migration had separated families across vast distances, and the return south represented a chance to reunite and fulfill family obligations. Many migrants who had moved north in their youth now had aging parents in the South who needed care, creating a powerful pull factor that transcended economic considerations.

The broader context: maintaining connections to the South

The high proportion of return migrants (two-thirds in 1965-70) reveals that many black Americans who had migrated north during the Great Migration had maintained strong connections to their birthplace and their southern roots. These connections—both emotional and familial—ultimately proved powerful enough to draw many people back, despite the historical reasons that had originally driven them northward.

This complexity reveals an important truth: migration decisions are rarely purely economic. They involve considerations of family, identity, belonging, and cultural connection. For many black Americans, the South—despite its painful history—remained a place of deep roots and enduring ties.