The Transformation of Southern Agriculture and the Migration of Blacks and Whites, 1930–1940

Abstract

The migration of blacks and whites from the South since 1930 has been traditionally characterized as resulting from the mechanization of agriculture. It is argued in this article that the real cause of the migration must be situated in the crisis in cotton farming during the Depression of the 1930s. Large farm owners secured aid from the federal government in the form of agricultural subsidy payments. In response to this program, they reduced their cotton acreage, bought tractors, and displaced their tenants. This transformation drastically reduced the need for tenant labor and brought about the large-scale migrations. Regression analyses of relevant data confirm this interpretation. The major conclusion is that migrations will be shaped by social, economic, and political relations that require unique historical understanding. Further, migrations will tend to reflect conditions at the point of origin.