What was the Exoduster movement?
Exodusters was a name given to African Americans who migrated from states along the Mississippi River to Kansas in the late nineteenth century, as part of the Exoduster Movement or Exodus of 1879. It was the first general migration of black people following the Civil War.
What was the Great Exodus and who was involved?
The large-scale black migration from the South to Kansas came to be known as the "Great Exodus," and those participating in it were called "exodusters." The post-Civil War era should have been a time of jubilation and progress for the African-Americans of the South.
What happened to the Exodusters after the Civil War?
By the time the last of the exodusters departed St. Louis by rail, wagon, boat or on foot, even the most sympathetic citizens were likely happy to see them go. Back in the South, more African-Americans continued to plan to depart for Kansas.
What led to the exodus of 1879?
The Exodus of 1879. Senator William Windom, a white Republican from Minnesota, introduced a resolution on January 16, 1879, which actually encouraged black migration out of the South. The Windom Resolution, together with southern white bigotry and the letters and newspaper articles of those blacks already in Kansas,...
Why did the Exodusters migrate west?
Thousands of African-Americans made their way to Kansas and other Western states after Reconstruction. The Homestead Act and other liberal land laws offered blacks (in theory) the opportunity to escape the racism and oppression of the post-war South and become owners of their own tracts of private farmland.
Did Exodusters move to the Great Plains?
Tens of thousands of African Americans moved into the Great Plains to begin new lives during the last three decades of the nineteenth century. These Plains settlers have often been referred to as Exodusters.
How did the Exodusters migrate?
Large numbers of blacks came between 1879 and 1881. These people were called Exodusters. The name comes from the exodus from Egypt during Biblical times. Most Exodusters arrived by steamboats landing in the river cities of Wyandotte, Atchison, and Kansas City.
When did Exodusters leave the South?
When did the exodusters leave the south? The mid-1870s after the Civil War.
Where did many Exodusters move after the Civil War?
The majority of Exodusters settled in Kansas, but many settled in what would become Oklahoma, Colorado, Ohio, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona, and Montana.
Why did many Exodusters move to Kansas in 1879?
Fearful for their lives, many African Americans began to flee the south for Kansas in 1879 and 1880 because of the state's fame as a Free-State and the land of the abolitionist John Brown. These many people were called Exodusters.
Who are the Exodusters and why did they leave the South?
Beginning in the mid-1870s, as Northern support for Radical Reconstruction retreated, thousands of African Americans chose to leave the South in the hope of finding equality on the western frontier.
Why did slaves move west?
Pushing Slavery Into New Regions for Farming and Ranching Leaving coastal states in search of farmable land and natural resources, settlers pushed their way west—and once they crossed the Mississippi River—into newly acquired Louisiana and later Texas.
Why did many African American move to the Great Plains?
There has long been an important African American presence in the Great Plains. African Americans were there in the early years of exploration, through the conflicts over slavery in Kansas, on the cattle drives, and in the celebrated black frontier regiments.
Why did many Exodusters move to Kansas in 1879?
Fearful for their lives, many African Americans began to flee the south for Kansas in 1879 and 1880 because of the state's fame as a Free-State and the land of the abolitionist John Brown. These many people were called Exodusters.
What was the primary reason the Exodusters left the South?
Beginning in the mid-1870s, as Northern support for Radical Reconstruction retreated, thousands of African Americans chose to leave the South in the hope of finding equality on the western frontier.
What problems did Exodusters face in the West?
When Reconstruction ended in 1877, southern whites used violence, economic exploitation, discriminatory laws called Black Codes, and political disenfranchisement to subjugate African Americans and undo their gains during Reconstruction.
How did the exodusters survive in Missouri?
Once in St. Louis, many of the exodusters had little idea how to continue their flight with no resources. Some were so destitute that they could not feed themselves or their families. In response, St. Louis clergy and business leaders formed committees to assist the freed blacks so that they could survive and makes their ways to Kansas. Food and funds were collected from the local community as well as from sympathizers from Iowa to Ohio. Lack of shelter, however, became the most serious problem, and many blacks were forced to sleep outside near the waterfronts to which the steamships had delivered them. Care of the exodusters in St. Louis became a political issue, especially after the Democratic-leaning Missouri Republican began running anti-black stories and tales of mishandling of donated funds. By the time the last of the exodusters departed St. Louis by rail, wagon, boat or on foot, even the most sympathetic citizens were likely happy to see them go.
Where did the residents of Nicodemus gather?
Residents of Nicodemus, Kansas, gather on Washington Street in 1855. I n 1879, an African-American man from Louisiana wrote a letter to the governor of Kansas that read in part: "I am very anxious to reach your state, not just because of the great race now made for it but because of the sacredness of her soil washed by the blood ...
How did the South prevent the exodus of African Americans?
Southern whites continued to oppose the exodus as well. Many went to extreme measures to try to keep blacks from emigrating, including arrest and imprisonment on false charges and the old standby of raw, brute force. African-Americans suffered beatings and other forms of violence at the hands of whites desperate to keep them in the South. Though these typical forms of intimidation did not really prevent many freed blacks from leaving, the eventual refusal of steamship captains to pick them up did. One can only guess that at least some of these sailors had been threatened or paid not to offer blacks passage to St. Louis.
What was the name of the large-scale black migration from the South to Kansas?
Many individuals and families were indeed willing to leave the only place they had known to move to a place few of them had ever seen. The large-scale black migration from the South to Kansas came to be known as the "Great Exodus," and those participating in it were called "exodusters.".
Where did the African Americans move to in 1879?
The memories of John Brown and other abolitionist warriors lived on in the hearts and minds of freed men and women and made Kansas seem the ideal place to begin anew. Many of the African-Americans that migrated to Kansas prior to the 1879 exodus came from Tennessee.
What was the first step in the journey to Kansas?
For those coming from many parts of the South, a boat or train ride to St. Louis was the real beginning of their journey to Kansas. While conditions on these boats and trains were never ideal, riding in any form was certainly preferable to walking.
Why did black people come to Kansas?
Thousands of African-Americans made their way to Kansas and other Western states after Reconstruction. The Homestead Act and other liberal land laws offered blacks (in theory) the opportunity to escape the racism and oppression of the post-war South and become owners of their own tracts of private farmland.
How did the South prevent the exodus of African Americans?
Southern whites continued to oppose the exodus as well. Many went to extreme measures to try to keep blacks from emigrating, including arrest and imprisonment on false charges and the old standby of raw, brute force. African-Americans suffered beatings and other forms of violence at the hands of whites desperate to keep them in the South. Though these typical forms of intimidation did not really prevent many freed blacks from leaving, the eventual refusal of steamship captains to pick them up did. One can only guess that at least some of these sailors had been threatened or paid not to offer blacks passage to St. Louis.
What was the name of the large-scale black migration from the South to Kansas?
Many individuals and families were indeed willing to leave the only place they had known to move to a place few of them had ever seen. The large-scale black migration from the South to Kansas came to be known as the "Great Exodus," and those participating in it were called "exodusters.".
When did the black migration to Kansas begin?
Obviously, black migration to Kansas did not begin (or end) with the exodus of 1879. Thousands of freed blacks made their ways to Kansas throughout the decade of the 1870s. Since their migration was more gradual, however, few whites took notice. This was certainly not the case when the well-publicized exodus took place in 1879.
Where did the African Americans move to in 1879?
The memories of John Brown and other abolitionist warriors lived on in the hearts and minds of freed men and women and made Kansas seem the ideal place to begin anew. Many of the African-Americans that migrated to Kansas prior to the 1879 exodus came from Tennessee.
What was the first step in the journey to Kansas?
For those coming from many parts of the South, a boat or train ride to St. Louis was the real beginning of their journey to Kansas. While conditions on these boats and trains were never ideal, riding in any form was certainly preferable to walking.
Why did black people come to Kansas?
Thousands of African-Americans made their way to Kansas and other Western states after Reconstruction. The Homestead Act and other liberal land laws offered blacks (in theory) the opportunity to escape the racism and oppression of the post-war South and become owners of their own tracts of private farmland.
