Short answer: visual source
Where Black Americans lived, 1910–1970
- Unit 3
- 3 points
- About 13 minutes
You look at an image, artwork, photograph, map or chart (described in words here) and answer three or four short parts about what it shows, the developments behind it and connections across the course. On the exam: Section II, short-answer question 2 of 3 (required); the three short-answer questions share a suggested 40 minutes and are 18% of the score. In 2025 and 2026 this question had 3 parts (A–C).
The question and its sources
This source is a table of census data. Study it, then answer parts A, B and C in a few complete sentences each; you don't need a thesis.
Black population of the United States by region, 1910, 1940 and 1970
| Region | 1910 | 1940 | 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South | 8,749,427 (89.0%) | 9,904,619 (77.0%) | 11,969,961 (53.0%) |
| Northeast | 484,176 (4.9%) | 1,369,875 (10.6%) | 4,344,153 (19.2%) |
| Midwest | 543,498 (5.5%) | 1,420,318 (11.0%) | 4,571,550 (20.2%) |
| West | 50,662 (0.5%) | 170,706 (1.3%) | 1,694,625 (7.5%) |
| Total | 9,827,763 (100%) | 12,865,518 (100%) | 22,580,289 (100%) |
Source: US Census Bureau, Campbell Gibson and Kay Jung, “Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990,” Working Paper No. 56 (2002), Tables 1–5. Percentages (share of all Black Americans living in each region) calculated from those figures.
Suggested time: 13 minutes
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Part (A)
1 pointDescribe one pattern shown in the table.
0 / 2,500 characters
Part (B)
1 pointDescribe one factor that pushed or pulled African Americans to leave the South during the period shown in the table.
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Part (C)
1 pointUsing a specific example, explain how the migration shown in the table shaped African American culture in the cities where migrants settled.
0 / 2,500 characters
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