CR163
Southern Pacific Railroad
“Whites Only” sign
In February 1883, the Southern Pacific Railroad created a new path for Americans who wanted to head out West. Its transcontinental “Sunset Route” connected New Orleans directly to California. This transit line shifted migratory patterns in a way that changed the relatively new state of California. In particular, Los Angeles’s present-day black population has creole influences that are a direct result of the Sunset Route.
As a result of the economic possibilities California began to attract black Americans from the South to Los Angeles in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The growth of the black population in Los Angeles doubled from 1940 to 1950, and many new residents made their way via the rail lines.
As a result of the economic possibilities California began to attract black Americans from the South to Los Angeles in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The growth of the black population in Los Angeles doubled from 1940 to 1950, and many new residents made their way via the rail lines.
