I had the pleasure of discovering these letters on the jstor site. I'm able to share them with you because they are they are in the public domain and jstor has indicated that they may be used freely and only request an acknowledgement which I included at the bottom of this post.
The historical and educational value of this body of work is immense, not to mention the inspirational. I haven't included every letter here but from this sample you can clearly get a picture of condition of the people at that time. I hope you'll find some use for this information and please share it with others, especially our young folks who aren't familiar with these stories.
SAVANNAH, GA., May 3, 1917.
Dare sier: I understand that you wont some mens and if you
wood sen me transportation for ten mens wood bee turly glad and
please write to me at wonce and lete me hir form you.
LETTERS OF NEGRO MIGRANTS OF 1916-1918
The exodus of the Negroes during the World
War, the
most significant event in our recent
internal history, may be
profitably studied by reading the letters
of the various
migrants. The investigator has been
fortunate in finding
letters from Negroes of all conditions in
almost all parts of
the South and these letters are based on
almost every topic
of concern to humanity. These documents
will serve as a
guide in getting at the motive dominant in
the minds of these
refugees and at the real situation during
the upheaval. As
a whole, these letters throw much light on
all phases of
Negro life and, in setting forth the causes
of unrest in the
South, portray the character of the whites
with whom the
blacks have had to do.
These letters are of further value for
information con-
cerning the Negroes in the North. From
these reliable
sources the student can learn where the
Negroes settled,
what they engaged in, and how they have
readjusted them-
selves in a new situation. Here may be seen
the effects of
the loss resulting from the absence of
immigrants from
Europe, the conflict of the laboring
elements, the evidences
of racial troubles and the menace of mob
rule.
LETTERS ASKING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT
THE NORTH
SAVANNAH, GA., Apirl 24, 1917.
Sir: I saw an advertisement in the Chicago
Ledger where you
would send tickets to any one desireing to
come up there. I am
a married man with a wife only, and I am 38
years of age, and
both of us have so far splendid health, and
would like very much
to come out there provided we could get
good employment regard-
ing the advertisement.
 | ||
| Segregated railroad waiting room at the Union Terminal, Jacksonville, Florida, . | Source — Florida State Archives. |
MOBILE, ALA., April 27, 1917.
Sir: Your advertisement appearing in the
Chicago Defender
have influenced me to write to you with no
delay. For seven
previous years I bore the reputation of a
first class laundress in
Selma. I have much experience with all of
the machines in this
laundry. This laundry is noted for its
skillful work of neatness
and ect. We do sample work for different
laundries of neighbor-
ing cities, viz. Montgomery, Birmingham and
Mobile once or twice
a year. At preseant I do house work but
would like to get in touch
with the Chicago . I have an eager desire
of a clear in-
formation how to get a good position. I
have a written recom-
mendation from the foreman of which I
largely depend upon as a
relief. You will do me a noble favor with
an answer in the earliest
possible moment with a description all
about the work.
PENSACOLA, FLA., April 28, 1917.
Dear Sir: I seen in the Chicago Defender
where men was
wanted in small towns near Chicago at fair
wages. As i want to
lokate in the north i thought it very
nessary to consult you in the
direction of this work. hoping to receive
from you full pertikulars
i a wate a reply.
MARCEL, MIss., 10/4/17.
Dear Sir: Although I am a stranger to you
but I am a man of
the so called colored race and can give you
the very best or refer-
ence as to my character and ability by
prominent citizens of my
community by both white and colored people
that knows me
although am native of Ohio whiles I am a
northern desent were
reared in this state of Mississippi. Now I
am a reader of your
paper the Chicago Defender. After reading
your writing ever
wek I am compell & persuade to say that
I know you are a real
man of my color you have I know heard of
the south land & I need
not tell you any thing about it. I am going
to ask you a favor
and at the same time beg you for your kind
and best advice. I
wants to come to Chicago to live. I am a
man of a family wife
and 1 child I can do just any kind of work
in the line of common
labor & I have for the present
sufficient means to support us till
I can obtain a position. Now should I come
to your town, would
you please to assist me in getting a
position I am willing to pay
whatever you charge I dont want you to loan
me not 1 cent but
help me to find an occupation there in your
town now I has a
present position that will keep me employed
till the first of Dec.
1917. now please give me your best advice
on this subject. I en-
close stamp for reply.
BEAUMONT, TEX., May 14, 1917.
My dear Sir: Please write me particulars
concerning emigra-
tion to the north. I am a skilled machinist
and longshoreman.
LETTERS ABOUT CLUBS AND GROUPS FOR THE NORTH
MOBILE, AlA., May 11, 1917.
Dear sir and brother: on last Sunday I
addressed you a letter
asking you for information and I have
received no answer. but
we would like to know could 300 or 500 men
and women get em-
ployment? and will the company or thoes
that needs help send
them a ticket or a pass and let them pay it
back in weekly pay-
ments? We have men and women here in all
lines of work we
have organized a association to help them
through you.
We are anxiously awaiting
your reply.
SAUK, GA., May 1, 1917.
Dear Sir: There are about 15 or 20 of us
hard working mans
seeking employment an we would be more than
glad if you assis
us in finding work i see here in the
Chicago Defender laborers
wanted i am a skill labor at most anything
except molder but i am
willing to learn the trade we are hard
working mans no lofers
neather crap shooters work is what we want
and can not get it with-
out you assistant. if you will assis us
with transportation please
rite and let us no what way to came to you
these white folks here
having meeting trying to stop us from going
off to seek work an
noing they haven got work nor wagers for us
here.
We have had jobs but loose it and have not
the money to get
away if you except my letter please give us
some assistant to leave
because is send you a letter Monday but i
see afterward that it was
send rong so i send you this one. have you
got employment up
there for female if so let us no please if
you send me a speciel please
dont put 15 or 20 men and i will under
stand if you say 15 or 20
mans they will put me in jail. please
answer just as soon can as i
want to get away as soon as i can there
nothing here to do. some
industrious female want employment answer
at once please.
JACKSON, Miss., May the first, 1917.
sir: I was looking over the Chicago
Defender and seen ad for
labers both woman an men it is a great lots
of us woud come at once
if we was only abel but we is not abel to
come but if you will send
me a pas for 25 women and men I will send
them north at once men
an women
DE RIDDER, LA., April 29, 1917.
Dear Sir: there is lots of us southern mens
wants transportation
and we want to leave ratway as soon as you
let us here from you
some of us is married mens who need work we
would like to bring
our wife with us there is 20 head of good
mens want transporta-
tion and if you need us let us no by return
mail we all are redy
only wants .here from you there may be more
all of our peoples
wont to leave here and I want you to send
as much as 20 tickets
any way I will get you up plenty hands to
do most any kind of
work all you have to do is to send for
them. looking to here from
you. This is among us
collerd.
LETTERS ABOUT LABOR AGENTS
MOBILE, ALA., 4-26-17.
Dear Sir Bro.: I take great pane in droping
you a few lines
hopeing that this will find you enjoying
the best of health as it
leave me at this time present. Dear sir I
seen in the Defender
where you was helping us a long in securing
a posission as brick-
mason plaster cementers stone mason. I am
writing to you for ad-
vice about comeing north. I am a brickmason
an I can do cement
work an stone work. I written to a firm in
Birmingham an they
sent me a blank stateing $2.00 would get me
a ticket an pay 10 per
ct of my salary for the lst month and
$24.92c would be paid after I
reach Detorit and went to work where they
sent me to work. I
had to stay there until I pay them the sum
of $24.92c so I want to
leave Mobile for there. if there nothing
there for me to make a
support for my self and family. My wife is
seamstress. We want
to get away the 15 or 20 of May so please
give this matter your
earnest consideration an let me hear from
you by return mail as my
bro. in law want to get away to. He is a carpenter
by trade. so
please help us as we are in need of your
help as we wanted to go to
Detroit but if you says no we go where ever
you sends us until we
can get to Detroit. We expect to do
whatever you says. There is
nothing here for the colored man but a hard
time wich these south-
ern crackers gives us. We has not had any
work to do in 4 wks.
and every thing is high to the colored man
so please let me hear
from you by return mail. Please do this for
your brother.
SHREVEPORT, LA., May 22, 1917.
Dear Sir: I want to get some infirmation
about getting out up
there I did learn that they had a man here
agent for to send people
up there I have never seen him yet and I
want you to tell me how
to get up there. they are passing people
out up there that are
unable to come I would like to hear from
you at once from your
unknown friend.
NEW ORLEANs, LA., April 22, 1917.
Dear sir: with the greatest of pleasure for
me to address you a
few lines, concerning of labor as I was
reading and advertisement
of yours in the Chicago Defender stateing
that those who wish to
children up with the best of education will
kindly get in touch with
you. However if you are in a business of
that kind it just fitted me.
While I am a man with a very large family
most all are boys and it
is my desires to get in touch with some
good firms to works. Kind
sir if you are in that kind of position
please let me hear from you
at once I've get no confidence in some of
these so called agents. Ill
be to glad to hear from you at once.
MOBILE, ATA., 12-4-16.
Dear Sir: While reading Sunday's Defender I
read where you
was coming south looking for labor I see
you want intelligent in-
dustrious men to work in factories so I
thought I would write and
get a little information about it. there
are a lot of idle men here
that are very anxious to come north. every
day they are fooled
about go and see the man. pleanty of men
have quit thier jobs
with the expectation of going but when they
go the man that is to
take them cant be found. last week there
was a preacher giving
lecturers on going. took up collection and
when the men got to the
depot he could not be found, so if you will
allow me the privaledge
I can get you as many men as you need that
are hard working
honest men that will be glad to come. I
will send you these names
and address if you will send for them to
come. there is not work
here every thing is so high what little
money you make we have to
eat it up. so if what I say
to you is agreeable please answer.
LETTERS
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHERN DRIVE OF 1917
PENSACOLA, FLA., 4-21-17.
Sir: You will please give us the names of
firms where we can
secure employment. Also please explain the
Great Northern
Drive for May 15th. We will come by the
thousands. Some of
us like farm work. The colored people will
leave if you will assist
them.
MOBiLE, AIA., April 25, 1917.
Sir: I was reading in theat paper about the
Colored race and
while reading it I seen in it where cars
would be here for the 15
of May which is one month from to day. Will
you be so kind as
to let me know where they are coming to and
I will be glad to
know because I am a poor woman and have a
husband and five
children living and three dead one single
and two twin girls six
months old today and my husband can hardly
make bread for them
in Mobile. This is my native home but it is
not fit to live in just
as the Chicaao Defender say it says the truth
and my husband only
get $1.50 a day and pays $7.50 a month for
house rent and can
hardly feed me and his self and children. I
am the mother of 8
children 25 years old and I want to get out
of this dog hold be-
cause I dont know what I am raising them up
for iin this place and
I want to get to Chicago where I know they
will be raised and my
husband crazy to get there because he know
he can get more to
raise his children and will you please let
me know where the cars is
going to stop to so that he can come where
he can take care of me
and my children. He get there a while and
then he can send for
me. I heard they wasnt coming here so I
sent to find out and he
can go and meet them at the place they are
going and go from
there to Chicago. No more at present.
hoping to hear from you
soon from your needed and worried friend.
MONTGOMERY, ALA., May 7, 1917.
My dear Sir: I am writing to solicit your
aid and advice as to
how I may best obtain employment at my
trade in your city. I
shall be coming that way on the 15th of May
and I wish to fBid
immediate employment if possible.
I have varied experience as a compositor
and printer. Job
composition is my hobby. I have not
experience as linotype oper-
ator, but can fill any other place in a
printing office. Please com-
municate with me at the above address at
once. Thanking you in
advance for any assistance and information
in the matter.
ROm:E, GA., May 13, 1917.
Dear Sir: I am writing you in regards to
present conditions in
Chicago in getting employment. I am an
experienced hotel man-
in all departments, such as bellman,
waiter, buss boy, or any other
work pertaining to hotel and would like to
know in return could
you furnish me transportation to Chicago as
you advertise in the
Chicago Defender. Am good honest and sober
worker, can furnish
recermendations if necessary. Have worked
at the Palmer House
during year 1911 as bus boy in Cafe. But
returned South for
awhile and since the Northern Drive has
begun I have decided to
return to Chicago as I am well acquainted
with the city. Hope to
hear from you soon on this matter as it is
of great importance
to me.
NEW ORLEANS, LA., 4-23-17.
Dear Editor: I am a reader of the Defender
and I am askeso
much about the great Northern drive on the
15th of May. We
want more understanding about it for there
is a great many wants
to get ready for that day & the depot
agents never gives us any
satisfaction when we ask for they dont want
us to leave here, I
want to ask you to please publish in your
next Saturdays paper
just what the fair will be on that day so
we all will know & can be
ready. So many women here are wanting to go
that day. They
are all working women and we cant get work
here so much now,
the white women tell us we just want to
make money to go North
and we do so please kindly ans. this in
your next paper if you do
I will read it every word in the Defender,
had rather read it then
to eat when Saturday comes, it is my hearts
delight & hope your
paper will continue on in the south until
every one reads it for it is
a God sent blessing to the Race. Will close
with best wishes.
LETTERS CONCERNING WHICH SECRECY WAS ENJOINED
MEmpPHIS, TENN., June 1, 1917.
Sir: as I being one of the readers of your
great News paper
and if I am not to imposeing I want to ask
you this information
as to what steps I should take to secure a
good position as a first
class automobeal blacksmith or any kind
pretaining to such and to
say that I have been opporating a first
class white shop here for
quite a number of years one of the largest
in the south and if I
must say the only colored man in the city
that does.
now I never knew any other way to find out
as I want to leave
the south and I feel very much confidential
that you would give
information if in your power. So if you
know of such why please
inform me at your leasure time. Any charges
why notify me in
return but do not publish.
FULLERTON, LA., May 7, 1917.
Dear sir: This comes to inform you that I
would like very much
to come up and locate in your town, but
would like to have a little
advise before I leave the sunny south. I am
a railroad man by
trade. Of course I am a Colored man but I
have been Conductor
for the G. & S. R. Ry. of the past
eight years. I have acted as
yard master, and manager of the switch
engine and had charge
of the local freight department. Please
advise if you think I can
secure a fairly good paying position up
there and I am ready to
come up and take hold. I can furnish good
reference, and have
my own typewriter and equipment.
I am not particular about working for the
rail-road, but I
would like to get something respectable if
possible.
I think my reference will satisfy the most
interogator. Kindly
advise privately and do not publish.
VICKSBURG, MISS., May 2, 1917.
Sir: I am a reader of the Chicago Defender
I am asking you a
little information. So many people are
leaving south for north
and it is too big families and we want to
come north or middle
west for better wages. We all have trade
and if you think we all
can get position just as we get north if
not the middle west. Better
please dont publish this is no paper. here
is a stamp envelop for
reply.
GREENVILLE, Miss., May 12, 1917.
Dear sir: Please inform me as to wether
there is imployment
for col. insurance agents by Company as
industrial writers sick
and acc. and deth if thair is such co.
handling coolored agents in
Chicago or suburban towns, please see
suptender as to wether he
could youse a good relible live agent. I am
contemplating moving
to Ill. This is confidential.
My experience as ins. agent 15 year
industrial and ord. life and
prefered.
LETTERS EMPHASIZING RACE WELFARE
Dear Sir: Just for a little infermation
from you i would like
to know wheather or not i could get in tuch
with some good people
to work for with a firm because things is
afful hear in the south let
me here from you soon as poseble what ever
you do dont publish
my. name in your paper but i think peple as
a race oguht to look
out for one another as Christians friends i
am a schuffur and i cant
make a living for my family with small pay
and the people is
getting so bad with us black peple down
south hear. now if you
ever help your race now is the time to help
me to get my family
away. food stuf is so high. i will look for
answer by return mail.
dont publish my name if your paper but let
me hear from you
at once.
NEW ORLEANS, LA., May 1, 1917.
Dear sir: i am a reader of the Chicago
defender and i seen in the
defender that you are interrested in the
well fair of the colored
people those of the classe that is
interested in themselves and com-
ing to the north for a better chance so i
take pleashure in riting to
you that i may get some under standing
about conditions of getting
work as i see that you are in turch with
the foundrys warehouses
and the manufacturing concerns that is in
need of laborers and i
thought it was best to rite you and get
some understanding as it
is 4 of us expecting to leave here in a few
days to come north but
we are not coming for pleasure we are
looking for wirk and better
treatment and more money and i ask your aid
in helping us to
secure a good position of work as we are
men of familys and we
canot aford to loaf and i will be very glad
to hear from you and
an my arival i will call at
your place to see you.
COLUMBIA, S. C., May 7, 1917.
Dir sur: i saw in one of our colord papers your
ad i now seat
my selft to seak work thru your ade of
which i beleve is ernest
devotion to our betterment i am a brick
layer and plastrer i rite
to no if i can get or you can get work for
me please let me know
detales plese.
HOUSTON, TEx., April 27, 1917.
Dear Sirs: I am a reader of the Chicago
Defender and I seen
where you are in need of men and are also
in the position for firms
to seek you. I see where you are in the
lines of work for the
betterment of the race.
SHERMAN, GA., Nov. 28, 1916.
Dear sir: This letter comes to ask for all
infirmations concern-
emplyoment in your conection in the warmest
climate. Now I am
in a family of (11) eleven more or less
boys and girls (men and
women) mixed sizes who want to go north as
soon as arrangements
can be made and employment given places for
shelter an so en
(etc) now this are farming people they were
raised on the farm
and are good farm hands I of course have
some experence and
qualefication as a coman school teacher and
hotel waiter and along
few other lines.
I wish you would write me at your first
chance and tell me if
you can give us employment at what time and
about what wages
will you pay and what kind of arrangement
can be made for our
shelter. Tell me when can you best use us
now or later.
Will you send us ticke-ts if so on what
terms and at what price
what is the cost per head and by what route
should we come. We
are Negroes and try to show ourselves
worthy of all we may get
from any friendly source we endeavor to be
true to all good causes,
if you can we thank you to help up to come
north as soon as you
can.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA., 4/29/17.
Dear sir: i was reading the Chicago
Defender to day and i find
that you is mutch
enterrested in our negro race i have sevrul years
in laundry business as a wash man and
stationery boilers fireing at
this time i have charge of wash room. i am
a fire man and all so a
laundry wash man too. hopeing that you will
do all you can for
me in getting a plase of theas persisons
please giv this your at-
tenson estateing salery per week pleas let
me heare from you soon
i remain yours truly.
PENSACOLA, FLA., May 1, 1917.
dear sirs: I sene in Defender wher more
positions open then
men for them I am colord an do woork hard
for my living an dont
mind it is not no bad habits I work but
dont get but small wedges
I am up bilder of my colord race an love to
help one when he
dezirs to better his condishon I want to
ast you for a favor of
helping me to get to you an your office to
get me a woork to do I
want to learn a trade and I will pay you to
look out for me an get
me a job if you kindly will. Please an send
me 3 tickets as we
three good woorking mens make the time you
can corleck ever
weeak pay for yo at once be cause we meanse
buisness now.
Letters of Negro Migrants of
1916-1918Author(s): Emmett J. ScottReviewed work(s):
Source: The Journal of Negro History, Vol.
4, No. 3 (Jul., 1919), pp. 290-340Published by: Association for the Study of
African American Life and History, Inc.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2713780
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