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Glossary

Exoduster: GCSE History Definition

Zoe Wade

Written by: Zoe Wade

Reviewed by: Natasha Smith

Published

Read time

1 minutes

Contents

  1. 1. What was an Exoduster?
  2. 2. The Exoduster Movement
  3. 3. Exoduster Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

What was an Exoduster?

In GCSE History, an Exoduster was the name given to a group of black Americans who migrated to the West after 1861. The term 'Exoduster' comes from:

  • Exodus - A mass movement of people. There is a Bible story about the Exodus of Moses and the Israelites from Egypt

  • Dust - Represents the dry, dusty American West

The Exoduster Movement

The Exoduster Movement had many motivating factors including:

  • Racism in the Southern States of America

  • The lack of money is sharecropping

  • Black Americans being able to claim land under the Homestead Act

  • The promise of more rights and freedoms in the West

In 1873, Benjamin Singleton began to promote Kansas as a place to settle for black Americans. In 1879, 40,000 Exodusters moved to the state of Kansas. However, the Exodusters faced racism, poverty and hardship. This caused many Exodusters to leave Kansas by the 1880s.

Exoduster Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

Explore our revision notes for Edexcel GCSE and AQA GCSE to see where the Exodusters fit into the revision notes for those specifications.

Explore Our GCSE History Revision Resources

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Author
Reviewer
Zoe Wade

Author: Zoe Wade

Expertise: History

Zoe has worked in education for 10 years as a teaching assistant and a teacher. This has given her an in-depth perspective on how to support all learners to achieve to the best of their ability. She has been the Lead of Key Stage 4 History, showing her expertise in the Edexcel GCSE syllabus and how best to revise. Ever since she was a child, Zoe has been passionate about history. She believes now, more than ever, the study of history is vital to explaining the ever-changing world around us. Zoe’s focus is to create accessible content that breaks down key historical concepts and themes to achieve GCSE success.

Natasha Smith

Author: Natasha Smith

Expertise: History Content Creator

After graduating with a degree in history, Natasha gained her PGCE at Keele University. With more than 10 years of teaching experience, Natasha taught history at both GCSE and A Level. Natasha's specialism is modern world history. As an educator, Natasha channels this passion into her work, aiming to instil in students the same love for history that has fuelled her own curiosity.

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