The Creation of Milwaukee's Segregation: A Look at Milwaukees Past from 1900-1930s

Abstract

This paper will be exploring race relations and the beginning of segregation among the people in urban Milwaukee, Wisconsin starting in 1900 and ending before the United States involvement in World War II, and how the Milwaukee Urban League helped with the advancement of African Americans and other people of color in urban Milwaukee. This paper will examine what economic, social, and political actions in Milwaukee caused the city to become segregated, and explain why Milwaukee County remains one of the most segregated cities in our nation today. The reason this paper will be focusing on the 1900s through the 1930s is that this was a period of time when Milwaukee's population began expanding rapidly due to industrialization, providing many new job opportunities for people of all races. This research may help determine if today's Milwaukee became more or less segregated from the effects of social issues, politics, economics, and organizations like the Milwaukee Urban League. Some of the important sources I will be using are Joe William Trotter Jr.'s book Black Milwaukee, where he has done extensive research on the African American population of Milwaukee and other northern cities with high African American populations. John Gurda's The Making of Milwaukee is another important source that helps explain Milwaukee's history and the different social and political movements that have emerged. Another essential source for this paper are the primary documents of the Milwaukee Urban League on microfilm from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's archives.