This is a very readable YA non-fiction history book documenting and explaining what happened during the Chicago Race Riots of 1919. During the riots 38 people died and 537 were hurt. This book starts out by explaining how segregation worked in Chicago. There were a lot of unwritten rules and invisible lines. The black community was made up of those who had been living in Chicago for a while and migrants from the south, who were looking for better opportunities. At the same time, a lot of European immigrants from Lithuania, Ireland and Germany were coming to Chicago to start a better life, but they were treated about the same as the black Americans. They worked in the meatpacking industry and other industries that were popping up in Chicago. It was a competitive job market and both sides were accusing each other of stealing jobs. Union thugs and corrupt politicians/police officers did little to make life better for blacks and immigrants. Most of these people lived in one room apartments that were like an oven during the summer months. Everyone went to Lake Michigan to cool off.
I think this is a timely purchase for a middle and high school library. It’s a good introduction to the racial divisions in this country. Students can make connections of how this event compares to more current events. Since we are in Michigan, students study the Detroit riots. This might be a good book to compare and contrast events. It would be good for a study of housing segregation and/or red-lining in cities. I think this topic could make for a good History Extended Essay topic. It think it’s important for students to notice that the author is a native of Chicago and wrote this book because she had a personal connection to it. I would recommend this to a student who read The Jungle and wants to read about more the history of the time period. Overall, I highly recommend it.
Author Website: http://clairehartfield.com/
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