Jacob Lawrence

b. 1917 — d. 2000

Painting & Sculpture Drawings & Prints Modernism

Jacob Lawrence American, 1917–2000

Timeline

Born 1917 — Died 2000

1930s

Free Clinic

1940s

1940

They also worked in large numbers on the railroad

1940

The World War had caused a great shortage in Northern industry and also citizens of foreign countries were returning home

1940

In every home people who had not gone North met and tried to decide if they should go North or not

1940

Another of the social causes of the migrants' leaving was that at times they did not feel safe, or it was not the best thing to be found on the streets late at night. They were arrested on the slightest provocation

+30

1950s

1950

Sedation

1959

Street Shadows

1970s

1974

Builders No.3

The Builders

1974

The 1920's ... The Migrants Arrive and Cast Their Ballots from Kent Bicentennial Portfolio: Spirit of Independence

Confrontation at the Bridge

1980s

1983

Hiroshima

1988

To Preserve Their Freedom from the series The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture

1990s

1995

The March from the series The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture

1997

The Opener from the series The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture

Works

46 artworks

Free Clinic

, 1937

They also worked in large numbers on the railroad

, 1940

Jacob Lawrence

Timeline

Works

Free Clinic

They also worked in large numbers on the railroad

The World War had caused a great shortage in Northern industry and also citizens of foreign countries were returning home

In every home people who had not gone North met and tried to decide if they should go North or not

Another of the social causes of the migrants' leaving was that at times they did not feel safe, or it was not the best thing to be found on the streets late at night. They were arrested on the slightest provocation

Although the Negro was used to lynching, he found this an opportune time for him to leave where one had occurred

The railroad stations were at times so over-packed with people leaving that special guards had to be called in to keep order

They also made it very difficult for migrants leaving the South. They often went to railroad stations and arrested the Negroes wholesale, which in turn made them miss their train

Living conditions were better in the North

One of the main forms of social and recreational activities in which the migrants indulged occurred in the church

The migration gained in momentum

In many of the communities the Negro press was read continually because of its attitude and its encouragement of the movement

Industries attempted to board their labor in quarters that were oftentimes very unhealthy. Labor camps were numerous

The Negro press was also influential in urging the people to leave the South

They arrived in great numbers into Chicago, the gateway of the West

The migrants arrived in great numbers

The Negro was the largest source of labor to be found after all others had been exhausted

They did not always leave because they were promised work in the North. Many of them left because of Southern conditions, one of them being great floods that ruined the crops, and therefore they were unable to make a living where they were

One of the largest race riots occurred in East St. Louis

They were very poor

The trains were packed continually with migrants

In the North the Negro had better educational facilities

The railroad stations in the South were crowded with people leaving for the North

Child labor and a lack of education was one of the other reasons for people wishing to leave their homes