In the early 20th century, Clarksdale was known as the "Golden Buckle in the Cotton Belt" and was home to a multi-cultural mixture of Lebanese, Italian, Chinese and Jewish immigrant merchants along with African-Americans farm laborers and white plantation owners.
Clarksdale figured prominently in the regional agricultural landscape and became pre-eminent when the International Harvester Company perfected the development of the single row mechanical cotton picking machine at the nearby Hopson Plantation in 1946. This technological advancement quickly revolutionized American agriculture and had far-reaching economic and social implications for the cotton industry worldwide, particularly in the Mississippi Delta.
Whereas previously the area's sprawling plantations were worked largely by an exploited African-American workforce, the rapid mechanization of cotton production made these workers readily expendable. This change, concurrent with the return of many African American GIs from World War II, and an accelerated climate of racist hatred as evidenced by the violence against such figures as musician Ike Turner and NAACP representative Dr. Aaron Henry, triggered what came to be known as The Great Migration to the north, the largest movement of Americans in U.S. history. The Illinois Central Railroad operated a large depot in Clarksdale, which quickly became the primary departure point for many African-Americans in the area. This important rail hub provided a Chicago-bound route for many seeking greater economic opportunities in the north
