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Industrial voyagers: a case study of Appalachian migration to Akron, Ohio: 1900-1940

Johnson, Susan Allyn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1140124259

Abstract Details

2006, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, History.
Between 1910 and 1960, nearly nine million southerners left the South for other regions of the country. The vast majority of the historical scholarship on this “Great Migration” has focused on the out-migration of African Americans from the South. “Industrial Voyagers: A Case Study of Appalachian Migration to Akron, Ohio, 1900-1940,” examines the migration of an often overlooked element of this migration—Southern Appalachians who moved to the industrial centers of the Midwest. Akron is a significant case study for this process. Migration to Akron began in the early twentieth century as the emergence of the rubber industry attracted thousands of newcomers who sought jobs in the city’s expanding factories. The duration of this in-migration presents the opportunity to examine this movement as it evolved and changed over decades. This study focuses on the regional economic disparities that encouraged out-migration from Appalachia; the ways migration streams became established between Appalachia and Akron; the experiences and reception of newcomers; and the evolving relationship between southerners and the labor movement in Akron. The southerners who arrived in Akron during this period were encouraged to move by Akron manufacturers who suffered recurring periods of labor shortages. Unfortunately, when recessions hit the industry, the city would find itself with thousands of unemployed rubber workers. During such hard times southerners had to decide whether to return home or try to make ends meet in the city. Furthermore, local residents had mixed attitudes toward these newcomers whom they sometimes blamed for a host of problems. In particular, labor organizations in the city blamed the new arrivals for driving down wages and inhibiting unionization efforts. It took several decades for this wave of newcomers to establish roots in the city. By the 1920s, this process was underway. More newcomers became homeowners and considered Akron their permanent home. Many new churches were established, as were other organizations such as the West Virginia Society. By the 1930s, newcomers had achieved greater acceptance and expressed a deeper interest in the future of the city. Southerners took leading roles in the creation of the United Rubber Workers of America and participated in local politics.
Warren Van Tine (Advisor)
History, United States
Migration, Internal; Southern States; Middle West; Poor; Labor Mobility

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Johnson, S. A. (2006). Industrial voyagers: a case study of Appalachian migration to Akron, Ohio: 1900-1940 [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1140124259

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Johnson, Susan. Industrial voyagers: a case study of Appalachian migration to Akron, Ohio: 1900-1940. 2006. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1140124259.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Johnson, Susan. "Industrial voyagers: a case study of Appalachian migration to Akron, Ohio: 1900-1940." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1140124259

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1140124259
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© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.