[Ads-l] "Great Migration" (Not in OED)

[Shapiro, Fred]

Actually, I looked at the 1946 article again, and it is not clear whether the first Great Migration or the second Great Migration or both is being referred to.

Fred Shapiro

________________________________
From: Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 7:09 AM
To: American Dialect Society <ads-l at listserv.uga.edu>
Subject: "Great Migration" (Not in OED)

Great Migration (not in OED)

1945 Chicago Defender 22 Dec. 13/2 (Newspapers.com)  Richard M. Jones ... came to Chicago during the Great Migration, bringing with him the entire musical tradition of his native region.

1946 Chicago Defender 27 Apr. 15/5 (Newspapers.com)  The Great Migration ... has produced a decisive Negro political bloc in the North.

NOTE:  There are earlier citations for "the great migration" without capitalization.  I have not included them because I thought the term I am interested in refers to THE great migration, not just A great migration, and capitalization is the key indication of that distinction.  It should be noted that the 1945 citation above is referring to the first exodus of Blacks from the South to the North (1910-1930 era), and the 1946 citation above is referring to the second exodus of Blacks from the South to the North (1940-1970 era).

Fred Shapiro


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