Milwaukee: The Divided City
"Why is Milwaukee considered one of the most racially segregated cities in the United States?"
While Milwaukee has been named one of the most segregated cities in the United States today, that hasn't always been so. It took over a century for Milwaukee to acquire this title. Milwaukee has always prided itself on its diversity; however, its diversity may have created segregation, which plagues the city today.
The First Minority
Prior to the 1800's many Native American tribes resided on the land - the most influential being the Potawatomi. However, the French began settling in present-day Milwaukee. The Native Americans suffered from European disease, and those who weren't killed off by disease were driven west of the Mississippi. [2] Life as they knew it was destroyed and they became the first Minority of Milwaukee. It wasn't until the 1870's when US Government created the Reservation System which returned some of the lost land to the tribe. [3] Regardless, the Potawatomi also became the first people to become segregated on Milwaukee land.
The French controlled the land well into the 1800s. Then, in 1830, a man named Solomon Juneau arrived and settled on the East side of the Menomonee River. A few years after Juneau's arrival, Bryon Kilbourn settled on the West side of the River. As their newly founded cities began expanding tension began to rise between the men. Eventually, the rivalry blew up in May of 1845 in what is known today as the Bridge War. Upon nearly destroying both cities, the men concluded that the only way they would truly be successful is if they worked together. Therefore, in January of 1846, Milwaukee became a city - population 10,000. [2]
The Bridge War
The Foreign Born City
With conflict on the rise in Europe, immigrants, seeing hope and prosperity on Milwaukee's shoreline, began flocking to the newly founded city. The Germans were the first, and the largest immigrant group to come to Milwaukee. By 1880 Germans made up 27% of Milwaukee’s population. Soon after the Germans, the Poles followed. The Poles also saw opportunity in Milwaukee, and they made up the second largest immigrant group in Milwaukee totaling 30,000 by 1880. The Germans and the Poles were accompanied by a many other immigrant groups, and the city prided itself on its diversity. When the depression hit, the people of Milwaukee helped one another through the hardship and by the end of it they emerged with a sense of hopefulness and optimism. Industry caused the Foreign Born City to expand at an incredible rate. As Milwaukee was a place of hope, opportunity, and prosperity for other immigrants, industrialization in Milwaukee created job opportunities for African Americans. [2]
African Americans began flocking to Milwaukee, and by 1960 Milwaukee's population was just over 740,000 people, 100,000 of which were African Americans. As the African American population grew so did discrimination. By the summer of 1967, the White population had had enough of the expanding African American population and race riots began to break out. [2]
The Unwelcomed
Making Milwaukee
Just before the turn of the 19th century, a Milwaukee resident proclaimed:
"The German and Polish population outnumbers the native probably three to one, and in nine cases out of ten this might be a cause for alarm, but - not in Milwaukee. Polack, Hungarian, Prussian, Bavarian, Wurtemburger, it makes no difference. There is not of its size in all America a city that contains a population more self-respecting, more law-abiding, more cheerful and content than Milwaukee, and you have only to ride or drive through these great sections to see the reason - there isn't a real tenement house in the town." [4]
The city that could once pride itself on such qualities could no longer hold its head up so high. The city began to decay after the 60s, neighborhoods began developing, and segregation plagued the city.