New Immigration and the Great Migration

US History – Immigration and Migration in the 1920s

In this course, Professor Susan Curtis (Purdue University) explains the causes and effects of international and internal migration patterns during the 1920s and what effects this had on popular culture in the United States. We start by examining the two movements of peoples into and within the United States, these were: (i) New Immigration; and (ii) the Great Migration. We then turn in the next two modules to examine the response to both New Immigration and the Great Migration. In the next two modules we explore the impact these new groups had on culture within the United States. Finally, we offer some concluding remarks on the period and topic as a whole.

New Immigration and the Great Migration

In this module, we examine the two movements of peoples into and within the United States, these movements have been termed: (i) the New Immigration; and (ii) the Great Migration. The focus of this module will be on the reasons for these movements. These reasons were made up of both push and pull factors, which included factors such as the devastation of World War I, religious persecution, employment opportunities and racial discrimination.