...DeVyne Lowe What and where was the Dust Bowl? The Dust Bowl is an area of land where vegetation had been lost and soil reduced to dust and eroded, especially a consequence of drought or unsuitable farming practice. The Dust Bowl hit areas like Oklahoma, Kansas, and northern Texas. The Dust Bowl was the name given to the Great Plains region devastated by drought in 1930s depression-ridden America. The Dust Bowl was a dangerous storm that damaged many places. For eight years dust blew on southern plains. Tons of topsoil were blown off barren fields and carried in storm clouds for hundreds of miles. After a while the entire world was affected. The Dust Bowl got its name after...
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...The Dust Bowl transpired during the 1930's. The Dust Bowl consisted of gigantic dust storms that destroyed many farms and homes. The Dust Bowl caused many farmers to lose their land due to it destroying it. There were many effects of the Dust Bowl. For instance, in the video "History Brief: Dust Bowl" it explains the effects it caused. Farmlands had many new advances that would help them farm. They had tractors & plowing tools. After the Dust Bowl, farmers had new ideas to use different technology or techniques so they can better prepare for new Dust storms that may transpire in the future. Moving on, in document A, Caroline Henderson described the experiences she faced while living in Oklahoma. (Document A) She explained how Dust to eat was...
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...During the Great Depression, farmers and families had to travel away from their home to find work and a new place to live. In 1930s, the Great Plains, had very little rain accompanied by high winds causing a dust storm called the dust bowl. This affected the agriculture in the United States during the 20th century. Both the government and farmers tried to address the situation with farmer loans and smaller crops. The dust bowl lasted 10 long years and it could very well happen again. Overall the Great Depression majorly affected the people in the southern plains. During the 20th century the United States agriculture changed from good to bad. Before the dust bowl the agriculture was successful, there was enough rain and the...
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...The Great Depression hit the world by storm, quite literally for America. In general, the 1930s was a time period filled with utter desperation for America, along with other countries. However, the Great Depression had many factors that allowed it to be such a disastrous period of time, including the treacherous phenomenon known as the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl was also known as an agricultural depression, mainly taking effect on the Plains and, in turn, affecting farmers exponentially. A drought spread throughout these areas, keeping the soil dry and infertile. Crops were damaged due to insufficient moisture, insect infestations, and high temperatures along with winds. Since there were layers of dry topsoil, the strong winds began to pick...
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...During the Dust Bowl many people were affected by it. Farmers and families had a rough time during this because the Dust Bowl destroyed everything. Farmers during this time could not work on their farms because of the dust. They would not be able to pay off their mortgages because they could not produce anything on their farms. Since most farmers could not work their farms most of them lost business and the price for crops fell below subsistence levels. Farmers slaughtered 6 million pigs because they wanted to reduce supply's and raise prices. The people did not like this because they thought it was a waste of food. Then the government made a Surplus Relief Corporation. This meant that whatever the farmers had leftover they would have to feed...
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...Herbert was blamed for the downfall of the economy. This time period was the start of the Great Depression and World War II. The Dust Bowl occurred during the Great Depression. Farmers were struggling with the drought, high temps, strong winds, soil erosion, overproduction, and crops not being healthy because of these factors. Because of the Dust Bowl, lots of farms were destroyed and abandoned. The Government got involved to help these farmers who were struggling. The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act was passed, which helped refund farmers. Not only were farmers having difficulties during the 1930’s, but also many other people. Over 15,000 people lost their jobs and were unemployed. The Government also got involved in lending a hand to the people who were dealing with these complications. Hoovervilles: unsanitary houses for people who were struggling were created to try and help out with the homeless. Although the government was trying to help out by providing homes for the...
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...farmers kept plowing and planting with gradually dreary outcomes. In the years 1930 and 1931, Oklahoma and Texas panhandles were known as the wealthiest states in the country. For plains farmers, the era opened with prosperity and growth. In the summer of 1931, the farmers challenged the most difficult eight years of their lives. The rain was finally over. It took a thousand years for Nature to build an inch of topsoil on the Southern Plains, but it took only minutes for one good blow to sweep it all away. The water level of lakes dropped by five feet or more and the wind picked up the dry soil that had nothing to hold it down. Black clouds of dust started to splotch out the sun. There are some places where dust glided like snow, making the sky dark for days, covering well-sealed homes with thick layers of dust on everything. Dust storms overcame entire towns. The main...
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...Daniel xxxxxxxxx Professor xxxxx History 102 5/17/2015 The Dust Bowl During the 1930’s our country was going through some tough times economically which was known as the “Great Depression”. To make things worse the farmland of America was experiencing what became known as the dust bowl. The Dust Bowl lasted for about a decade and it significantly impacted the southern plains. The northern plains were not hit as hard, but they still experienced major drought, strong winds and saw a big decline in their agricultural industry. The Dust Bowl is also responsible for many Americans leaving and moving from the southern plains. For nearly 10 years a yellowish brown dust from the southern plains and a black wall of dust from the northern plains swept through the heart of our country. This made everyday life in this region extremely difficult. Simple acts such as breathing, eating, and even talking while walking were no longer so simple. Mothers were forced to make their children wear dust mask to and from school, wet sheets were hung in front of windows in an effort to stop the dirt from entering their homes. Many farmers were defeated and slowly watched all their crops blow away (About the Dust Bowl). It was best stated by John Steinbeck in the novel “The Grapes of Wrath” “And then the dispossessed were drawn west from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico; from Nevada and Arkansas, families, tribes, dusted out, tractored out. Car loads, caravans, homeless and hungry; twenty thousand...
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...Dust Bowls 1930s and 1940s Introduction The dust bowls of the ‘dirty thirties’[1] hurt and helped our nation. They cost us not only currency, but in lives, land, and social instability. Years before, the world has just gotten out of a huge economically depression, and right around the corner, another World War would insure. Beginning of the Events The Great Depression did wonders and caused a lot of problems for the American republic, and the rest of the world. This caused farmers to rush west for the land that became available. This, in turn, caused a great increase in wheat. The price of wheat increased and that meant more profit was made. The land practices became crude, and the same plant planted in the same place ruined...
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...Introduction Written by John Steinbeck in 1939, “The Grapes of Wrath” is an in-depth look at how economic forces of the time had a tragic effect on the lives of the working class. The story and examples of the five economic structures are told, as the Joad family travels to seek a new life in California. The novel details how the economic changes that were taking place impacted the Joads and the people of Oklahoma, making them desperate to find a new life. Forced from their homes and land, they hoped that migrating west would allow them to find work, allowing them to provide for their families. Steinbeck shows in detail how economic forces and externalities, can affect the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the nation. While...
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... In chapter twelve of Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, tenant farmers filled up cars on the migrant road, Highway 66, to reach California. Due to the fact that many were evicted off their land back home, many began to believe that California was the new site to achieve goals such as, maintaining a steady job, and earning wages for the family. Steinbeck utilizes repetition,asyndeton, and negative diction to establish the recognition of the hardships faced. Therefore, Steinbeck enforces these techniques in order to evoke sympathy upon the families, such as the Joads, because of the number of issues that occur during this journey and for the future. The daily life in areas such as Oklahoma, have been completely destroyed from the banks, hence why many families, like the Joads, have to gather their belongings and depart. California was the only place that offered a sense of hope to distract the families from their losses. Therefore, since so many families are migrating west, Steinback dedicates one chapter to display the challenges that spark sympathy for those who are unaware that these conditions will continue to grow worse. Steinbeck chooses to use Highway 66 to express this journey, because no matter what route, a family will always come across this road in order to get to California. Out of all the eight paragraphs, the number “66” (1-34) is repeated in five of them. The number is repeated so many times to resemble how long this process is. Many individuals...
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...The Okies/Migrants The Dust Bowl was a time of hard work, sacrifice, and most of all: sadness. The Dust Bowl occurred in the 1930's and was a time of great depression when droughts had struck the Great Plains in America. These droughts dramatically effected farmers in Oklahoma and Texas, and other neighboring areas, and eventually lead to farmers being forced off of their land in search of work in the West (“History”). These farmers who migrated to the West were formally known as “Okies”, a nickname given to them by Californians. Therefore, the Okies played a significant role during the dust bowl due to the incredible amounts of people who migrated to places, such as California, the hardships they experienced during the Dust Bowl era, and the long journey it took to find work in the West. Certainly, Okies experienced the most heartache and difficulties during the period of the severe droughts that struck America. Something that really catches the eye...
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...The Dust Bowl Many events occurred during the twentieth century, one of the events that occurred during the 1930’s was The Dust Bowl, it The Dust Bowl Many events occurred during the twentieth century, one of the events that occurred during the 1930’s was The Dust Bowl, it was also known as The Dirty Thirties. The Dust Bowl started in 1931 and did not end until 1939. It got it’s name by a name news reporter after Black Sunday. Black sunday was by far the worst dust storm that had occurred during the entire Dust Bowl. Many people believe families did flee during the Dust Bowl. As a matter of fact, many families did not flee their homes. They had no money. How would they have bought a new home? Many news reporters recall...
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...The Grapes of Wrath, authored by John Steinbeck, is a novel that depicts the struggles of an average midwestern family, The Joads, as they escape the horrors of the Dust Bowl in search of a new life in the state of California. The novel keeps The novel is revered as an American classic and has many positive reviews, but for me, the novel proved to be decent. The novel begins with introducing Tom Joad as he was attempting to hitch-hike back to his family’s farm. The novel continues with the Joad family, as they are forced to leave their land. The Joads face hardships of losing family members and a family friend, having minimal funds, and their only mode of transportation failing. The novel comes to an end as Tom must flee his family and the...
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... It was last year when the news spread about the opportunity that lied in the wild west. You know, the land, the riches, and opportunities. Right around then my family was suffering in the south after the economy crashed, our money was completely worthless! The living was much too crowded for my taste. The thought of a better life ahead for my two young children overwhelmed me with hope. We packed our bags as fast as possible. My family was fortunate enough to afford a train ticket. Railroads first started after the shame of the civil war. A time period we know as reconstruction. These railroads provided fast, safe and easy transportation to the wild frontier. When we arrived we received land from the homestead act and ever since, life has been pretty much ideal. Ideal except for the extreme weather, it wasn't at all the same as the south. Brutally hot summers and unbearable winters, we barely got through! I’ll never forget our first tornado, my wife almost fainted, we managed to bunker down in our sod house. Smart right? We were forced to build shelter with sod since there were barely any trees. This sod house protected us from tornados and the dreaded cicadas, they ate all of my crops! Don't get me wrong, the west is pretty great. However, it is not all forgiving. After the cicadas ate my crops, I had to replant. To be honest, they weren't growing that well in the first place. Though, I had heard about a new invention that was invented for dry western farming. Some sort of wind...
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