State Historical Society of Iowa

Interview with George Jiggetts about Moving North and Finding Work, August 19, 1994

    Embedded Resource

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Jiggetts, George, and Susan Levitas, "There was nothing you could do to make a dollar unless it was work on someone else's farm," 19 August 1994

Description

This is an audio segment of an oral history interview with George Jiggetts. He discusses making no money in the South, so he sought work in the North in places like Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore. While he found "freedom" in some locations, he explains that he had trouble finding work in other cities.

Transcript of the Interview of George Jiggetts

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Describe what working life was like according to Jiggetts' experience when he migrated North.
  • Compare his story to other sources in this source set. Do you feel his experience was similar to other African Americans or different? Cite evidence to support your claim.

Citation Information 

Jiggetts, George, and Susan Levitas, "There was nothing you could do to make a dollar unless it was work on someone else's farm," 19 August 1994. Courtesy of Library of Congress