SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS OF THE NEGRO FARMERS 89 



may give some idea of the importance of the negro exodus about this 

 time: between i860 and 1870 in fourteen cities of the south, the 

 negro population increased 90.7 %, while the white population only 

 increa-ed 16.7 %. 



When the political condition of the Southern States became more set- 

 tled, the negro emigration from the country slackened, but did not stop, 

 although it assumed a more regular course. For other causes succeeded to 

 those alread}^ given : the beginning of the industrial development of the 

 Southern States, the opening up of immense mining districts, the new 

 and important industry of the extractioii of oil from cotton seed. Large 

 cities grew up absorbing more and more labour and diverting it from 

 agriculture. Social legislation was introduced and extended and princip- 

 ally for the protection of industrial workmen. 



As we see, these were no longer motives specially affecting the negroes, 

 but the labourers of ever}- race generally. And in fact it may be said that 

 now, everv' thing considered, the negro exodus to the towns corresponds 

 with that of the whites, when the same influences and circumstances are 

 at work. 



The increase in the white and black rural and urban population be- 

 tween 1890 and 1900 was as follows : 



Whites 

 1890 X900 



Continental United States .... 7,488,676 8,833,994 55,101,258 66,809,196 



Cities of at least 2,500 inhabitants 1,482,651 2,00 j, 121 21,011,367 58,506,146 



Rural Districts 6,006,025 6,829,373 34,089,891 38,303,005 



The increase, therefore, is similar in the case of the whites and the blacks 

 (respectiveh- 35.2 ^-O and 35.7 % in the towns and 13.7 °y eand 12.4 % 

 in the country). The rural exodus of the negroes would have perhaps 

 been greater, had it not been checked b}- other circumstances : amongst 

 them the unfavourable conditions under which the negroes live in the 

 cities, crowded together in the poorest and least healthy quarters ; 

 the consequent high death rate, especially among the children ; the 

 evident inferiority of their social condition compared with that of the 

 whites (in nian}^ States there are special laws for the separation of blacks 

 and whites on the trams and in pubHc places) ; and their inferior aptit- 

 ude for mechanical and industrial occupations. 



In this way, notwithstanding their decided tendency to urbanism, many 

 of the negroes of the United States of America remain in the country and 

 agriculture still continues to be the most important of the occupations in 

 which they engage. As we have no more recent information in regard to the 

 distribution of negroes according to their occupations, we shall give the 

 figures for 1900 : 



