Between 1910 and 1920, what was the primary reason for the nearly 150 percent increase in the African American population of Chicago?

The significant increase in the African American population of Chicago between 1910 and 1920 can be primarily attributed to the influx of migrants seeking better economic prospects during World War I. During this period, the demand for labor surged, particularly in manufacturing industries that supported the war effort. Factories in urban centers like Chicago were in dire need of workers to meet production needs, attracting many African Americans from the rural South who were seeking jobs and escaping the oppressive conditions of sharecropping and Jim Crow laws.

This migration is part of the broader Great Migration, a historical movement where African Americans relocated from the South to Northern cities in search of improved economic and social opportunities. The wartime manufacturing boom was a vital factor, as it not only offered jobs but also fostered a sense of community among migrants, further encouraging the movement.

Options that involve discriminatory practices, anti-poverty programs, or agricultural improvements don’t directly relate to the economic motivations that fueled the migration during this specific period. While these factors may have had some influence, they do not encapsulate the primary reason for the dramatic increase in population, which was explicitly driven by the search for employment and better living conditions in urban environments during nationwide labor shortages.