The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

21093

Title

The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This 1919 volume explores the psychological roots of racial prejudice, the history of Black migration, and the legacy of colonization plans. Featuring essays by Roland G. Usher and Charles H. Wesley, it examines lynching as a survival of primitive law, analyzes the Great Migration, and documents the struggles of Black educators and laborers. A vital historical record of early 20th-century race relations.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1919, Volume 4 of *The Journal of Negro History* offers a comprehensive examination of the African American experience at a pivotal moment in United States history. The volume opens with a provocative analysis by Roland G. Usher, who argues that modern white prejudice against Black Americans is rooted in subconscious impulses derived from prehistoric laws of blood kinship and tribal self-help. Usher suggests that lynching is a modern manifestation of ancient tribal justice, where outsiders were historically treated without legal protection. The journal then shifts its focus to the Great Migration, reviewing Carter G. Woodson's *A Century of Negro Migration* and a Department of Labor report on the 1916–1917 exodus. These sections detail the economic push factors in the South, such as sharecropping and crop diversification, alongside the pull factors in the North, including industrial jobs. The text includes poignant correspondence from migrants seeking work and a Senate report investigating the causes of the 1879 migration. Additional articles cover the role of Black soldiers in the Confederate Army, the legal status of freedmen, and the life of Charles B. Ray. The volume concludes with financial reports and constitutional documents from the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, highlighting their efforts to promote the scientific study of Black history. Together, these pieces provide a detailed look at the social, economic, and legal challenges facing the Black community in the United States at the turn of the century.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• History
• African American Studies