The event referred to as the Great Migration in U.S. history involves the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban centers in the North and West, primarily between 1916 and 1970. This migration was driven by various factors, including the search for better economic opportunities, escaping oppressive Jim Crow laws, and seeking refuge from racial violence. Cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New York became hubs of African American culture and communities, profoundly influencing American society, arts, and the civil rights movement, as migrants brought their rich cultural heritage to new environments.