The Great Migration of African Americans northward began around 1916, lasting into the 1970s, and was marked by the movement of millions from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West. This migration was driven by the search for better economic opportunities, escape from Jim Crow laws and racial violence, and the desire for improved living conditions. Industrial jobs in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New York attracted many seeking work in factories during World War I and II. The migration significantly transformed the demographic, cultural, and social landscape of the United States, laying foundations for the civil rights movement.