In 1870- just nine years after becoming a state- Kansas was home to just over 16,000 African Americans. By the start of the next decade, over 43,000 African Americans called Kansas home. The migration of these "Exodusters" westward had swelled the state's Black population by approximately 27,000.

Question

Which of these BEST describes the reason for the movement of the Exodusters westward?
Responses
A They were moving from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt.They were moving from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt.
B They were drawn westward thanks to the Homestead Act.They were drawn westward thanks to the Homestead Act.
C They left the South as refugees attempting to escape the Civil War.They left the South as refugees attempting to escape the Civil War.
D They left the South to escape the discrimination and lack of opportunity there.

Answer 1

The best response that describes the reason for the movement of the Exodusters westward is:

D. They left the South to escape the discrimination and lack of opportunity there.

The Exodusters were primarily African Americans who migrated from the Southern United States to Kansas in search of better living conditions, opportunities, and to escape the oppressive environment of the post-Reconstruction South, which was marked by systemic racism and discrimination.