Pogroms and Mass Migration

1881–1884 · Russian Empire

Pogroms across the Russian Empire after Alexander II's assassination, and the May Laws that follow, drive the great migration; some two million Jews leave Eastern Europe by 1914, most for the United States, remaking world Jewry's center of gravity.

Tagged: Persecution Conservative Judaism Jewish Orthodox Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism Reform Judaism Secular Judaism

The Event

Date
1881–1884 (exact)
Era
Modern; Standard periodization of Jewish history
Location
Russian Empire
Traditions
Judaism
Streams
Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism, Reform Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, Secular Judaism

Primary Sources

  • Contemporary reports and memoirs

Secondary Sources

  • Sarna, American Judaism: A History (Yale, 2004)
  • Johnson, A History of the Jews (Harper, 1987)

Provenance: HIST-0126; confidence 0.95; accessed 2026-10-27.

Related on This Site