widespread+racial+unrest-ss

The Racial unrest started after the war ended, when soldiers coming back from war were finding it hard to find jobs, and many were getting laid off from stockyards and meatpacking industry because of the African Americans that were being given the job opportunities. The African American population grew from 44,000 to 109,000 in a matter of 3 years in the time period of 1916 to 1919. Americans were also discouraged when they couldn't find affordable housing, they let their fuming feelings of racism get the best of them and blamed it on the African Americans. Riots and uproars aclimated in the summer of 1919, most know as "the red summer" as so called by African American leader, James Weldon Johnson because of the amount of blood that was spilled. White men were burning and vandalizing houses and shops all throughout America; Texas, Washington D.C., and mad many other places. The troops had a tough time getting the riots under control. The chicago riot was a big major of the racial unrest, but it didn't stop there. Many riots were lead to afterwards, including the Tulsa riot  in 1921.