Premium Essay

The Dust Bowl: Poverty In The United States

Submitted By
Words 591
Pages 3
During the early 1930’s America had struck poverty, but for the people living in the central plains of the United States had other challenges to face as well. Along with the nationwide depression, these people had to overcome an eight-year drought. This drought brought huge dust storms that lasted from 1931-1939 and had prolonged the Great Depression. For the people living during this time the struggle to live forced many out of their homes, towns, and even state. The Dust Bowl not only prolonged the Great Depression and forced many people to become homeless, but affected them for the rest of their lives. The Dust Bowl affected southern Colorado, southern Kansas, northern Oklahoma, northern Texas, and northeast New Mexico from 1931 to 1939.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Dust Bowl Research Paper

...Poverty and climate problems negatively affected people in the 1930s. The dust bowl forced people to fix their bad farming habits and forced many others to have to move locations. In Steinback’s novel, he displays the poverty of the 1930s through George and Lennie’s journey. The Dust Bowl ruined American lives. The traveling homesteaders moved to the Dust Bowl 30 years before World War 1. Once the farmers harvested their crops, they left the soil exposed, which resulted in dust storms. “The organic matter, clay, and silt in the soil were carried great distances by the winds, in some cases darkening the sky as far as the Atlantic coast,” (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia) The dust got into every crevice of homes and everyone was breathing it in. People began to develop health problems as a...

Words: 708 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Dust Bowl Research Paper

...The stock market collapse began in 1929, this led to the Great Depression which had a significant impact on people socially, but in the 1930s the Dust Bowl (which was was a period of severe dust storms that damaged the southern great plains which forced many to leave and migrate), had a significant impact and change in people's entertainment and had a considerable impact on Americans but mostly, their music. The poverty and suffering people lived through sparked many lyrics, song names, artists and had a pivotal uprise of new music genres such as folk and country music. Which encouraged many to keep on pushing forward and try to start a new beginning. Songs of the dust bowl often reflects the struggles, hardships and resilience of the people...

Words: 835 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Dust Bowl Research Paper

...The Dust Bowl and the Great Depression: A Study in Environmental and Economic Crises. The Dust Bowl and the Great Depression were two significant events in American history that profoundly affected the lives of millions of people. These crises occurred almost simultaneously during the 1930s, intertwining environmental and economic challenges that reshaped the nation. This essay explores the causes, impacts, and interconnections between the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The Great Depression: An Economic Catastrophe The Great Depression was the most severe economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. It began after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and...

Words: 860 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Dust Bowl Dbq

...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...

Words: 754 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Dust Bowl

...Name Professor Course Date The Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl refers to the 1930 period when adverse storms resulted in socio-economic and ecological destruction to the Canadian and American economies. The disaster lasted for six years, from 1930 to 1936, but in some areas, it lasted till 1940. The extent of Dust Bowl’s impacts intensified in North America following the event’s concurrence with the Great American Depression. States affected by the weather adversities included the Canadian South, South Eastern region of Montana, South Western parts of North Dakota, and Texas, North Eastern regions of Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, and major regions of South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The causative factors for the development of the Dust Bowl were attributed to two main factors; drought and famine condition in existing in Central America and poor farming methods on the vast dry lands from the Canadian prairies in the South to the US, acreage of over 400,000 km2 (Langston-George, 2015). Based on Dust Bowl’s historical naure, it is imperative to understand the causes, characteristics, impact and draw future lessons to mitigate such occurrences in the human and physical environment. Characteristics of the Dust Bowl The Dust bowl region lies on the west side of the 100th meridian. The elevation of the plains was estimated to be 760m on the east side and 1800m to the west. The erosion and drought affected a geographical coverage of about 100,000,000acres. The climatic...

Words: 3039 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Adversity In 1930s America

...After the War of 1812, during the 1930s, America faced great struggles that shook the nation to its core. The Wall Street Crash, in late October of 1929, caused a huge uproar, as millions of people lost all they had. In the Midwestern states, a great drought caused the Dust Bowl, which made farming in this region almost impossible. Many farmers were evicted of their homes and all of their belongings were repossessed, so they were forced out. In the time right after the Wall Street Crash, and the Dust Bowl, we see almost every American facing what was most likely the biggest adversity in their lives. Due to these adversities, we can also see the distinction between two different types of people, those who rose above the Depression, and those...

Words: 291 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

How Did Jim Crow Laws Affect To Kill A Mockingbird

...Maycomb, Alabama was a “tired old town...there was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see...” During the nineteen twenties and thirties America took a big down hill slide. The stock market crashed, people lost their jobs, and most middle class families were in poverty. When the stock market crashed on October 28, 1929 America went rampant. All the citizens who had shares in corporations were trying to sell them back all at once. This led to factories and corporations to close down. Since the factories and corporations were closed, people had no source of income. There was also a glitch in the banking system so everyone who had a bank or savings account lost everything in their account. When people got word of this situation they went to the banks to try to cash out all of their money. This caused a big interruption in the banks counting systems. During this time there was also a drought so farmers income also went away and people now had no source of food....

Words: 625 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Gke1 Task 1

...The Nile River is one of the greatest contributing factors to the development of the ancient civilization of Egypt (Smith, 2014). Civilization is defined as, “the society, culture, and way of life of a particular area” (The Free Dictionary,n.d.). At over 4,000 miles long, the Nile is the longest known river in the world, and runs through eleven countries, including Egypt. Villages were located near to its life giving waters, and along its banks, and they were able to thrive because of the Nile and the agricultural abilities that the Nile provided. During the rainy season the Nile River deposited its silt-enriched waters when its banks flooded. The ancient Egyptian farmers knew they needed those waters to grow their crops, and also needed a way to store water because of Egypt’s long dry season – it is essentially a vast desert, so they constructed devices, including catch basins and dikes, so they could catch the water for various purposes, and stored it so they could irrigate their crops the rest of the year. Not only did the Nile River allow the farmers to grow and nourish their crops, but it also gave them a means to sell any overage, and also other goods, as they could travel along the river to other villages. Agriculture and the sale of goods was not the only exchange made by the early people of the Nile. Culture was also exchanged. People from different villages and communities along the Nile came together for commerce, and as a natural consequence they would share their...

Words: 1841 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

American Dream Revised

...his book, Steinbeck said that the attainment of the American dream was nearly impossible due to the economic instability and constant government interference. The Joads found unpredictable jobs in California (Ownby 73). They failed to achieve the American dream and so they did not succeed in California. Before they migrated from Oklahoma, the Joads had a good life. They had land, a home and money. Their migration was fuelled by their hopes of finding success and a better life in California. The Grapes of Wrath is set during the great depression. The great depression was a result of the inaction by the federal government which led to failing of the financial institutions. Many people were out of work since jobs were scarce hence a rise in poverty and economic hardships. It basically focuses on the Joads family who move to America in pursuit of the American dream. The economic hardships, drought, changes in financial and agricultural industries forced them to abandon their Oklahoma home for California. In...

Words: 2383 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Dust Bowl Dbq

...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 people struggling, Hoovervilles were filled with poverty and crime. Soup lines were made to try and contribute to the...

Words: 870 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Dna Replication

...Abstract There were many causes of the Great Depression, some of which include “The Great Crash” of the stock market, lack of spending by the average person, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act and a massive drought in the Mississippi Valley. From this nation-wide crisis came Social Security as we know it, the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, the creation of the SEC and stricter banking and stock market regulations. Overall the Great Depression had a large impact on The United States that can still be seen today. Causes of the Great Depression In January of 1929 an editorial (Encyclopedia of American Studies, 2010) said “It has been twelve months of unprecedented advance, of wonderful prosperity. If there is any way of judging the future by the past, this new year will be one of felicitation and hopefulness.” This was obviously not the case. When the stock market crashed on October 29, 1929, it was possibly the greatest contributing factor to the depression. Some believe, though incorrectly, that the “Great Crash” is the same as the great depression. The stock market crash had people scared to spend money. People no longer bought nearly as many products which led to a drop in production, which in turn led to layoffs in the work force. Coupled with these layoffs, were huge debts being defaulted on by stock holders; this all inevitably to the failure or closing of many banks. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act was passed in June 1930 to protect...

Words: 887 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

King

...MATA HOLA Period 6 4/1/13 Quotes of David Kennedy 1. One of the most surprising things that I discovered about Depression was the degree of passivity or docility with which people greeted it. 2. There were tens of millions of people living in poverty even before the great crash of 1929 3. Second, I think, is that we see here, you might say, the flip side of the famous American value of individualism, that if we congratulate ourselves for our success and give ourselves a pat on the back for boot-strapping ourselves up the ladder of social mobility, it follows naturally that if we don’t do that or slip down that ladder, we have nobody but ourselves to blame. 4. There had been an agricultural depression that, by 1929, was already a decade old. 5. Nearly half the American people still live in the countryside in the 1920s, and they lived in the grip of a chronic depression. 6. If you were black, if you were a famer, or if you were a recent immigrant living in America in the 1920’s you did not share, generally speaking, in that so-called 1920s prosperity. 7. From the onset of the American industrial revolution in the early nineteenth century right down to the 1930s, the American economy was essentially on a roller coaster ride, where they’d have these periodic boom and bust cycles-depressions in the 1830s, the 1850s, the 1870s, the 1890s; right after World War I was another one-on a scale that we have not seen for the last half century. 8. Insofar...

Words: 1611 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Us History

...United States History 2 Final Review Guide Part I: Multiple Choice Chapter 20 ● Results of the Treaty of Versailles: - The Treaty of Versailles was signed after WWI in the palace of Versailles on June 28, 1919. Its goals were to "clean up the mess" after the war. The Treaty reestablished many boundaries and borders. Colonies, namely Germany's, were split among the Allied nations. Germany was disarmed since they were considered to be a threat by the rest of the world. Germany was also forced to take full responsibility for WWI, and were charged billions of dollars, which destroyed their economy. In the long run, the Treaty did more harm than good. Due to all the problems the Treaty caused for Germany, the country was left in a bad mood and was definitely looking at the rest of the world with a vengeful eye. In a way, it could be said that the Treaty of Versailles indirectly led to WWII. ● Explain the policy of Imperialism: - Simply put, imperialism is the quest for colonial empires. Countries go to other places in the world and claim them as their own. Countries imperialized for many reasons. Some countries wanted to establish military bases. An example of this is Hawaii, which the United States took over and used as a naval base. Other reasons countries imperialized were to gain global prestige, as well as to expand their territory. ● President Wilson's rules for peace after WWI: - After the war, President Woodrow Wilson sought to repair...

Words: 2664 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Work

...and farmer, adding considerable strain to the international economic climate of the Great Depression. 6. Okies- a migrant agricultural worker from Oklahoma who had been forced to leave during the depression of the 1930’s. 7. Breadline- a group of needy persons waiting in the line for free food to be distributed by a government agency or charitable organization. 8. Hooverville- a shantytown built by unemployed and destitute people during the depression of the early 1930’s. 9. Dust bowl- An area of Oklahoma, Kansas, and northern Texas affected by severe sell erosion caused by windstorms in the early 1930s, which obliged many people to move. 10. migration-movement from one part of something to another. 11. Bonus Army- was the popular name of assemblage of some 43,000 marchers-17,000 ww1 veterans, their families, and affiliated groups. 12. Reconstruction finance corporation-RFC was a government corporation in the United States that berated between 1932 and last which provided financial support to state and local government and made loans to banks, railroads, mortgage association and other business. Chp.13. 1. New deal- programs and legislation enacted by...

Words: 671 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Fedx Branding

...an essay discussing the problems created by the Great Depression and actions taken by the federal government to solve these problems The Great Depression was the period of worldwide economic depression which happened from 1929 to about 1941. Although it was a global event, the United States was the country attracting the most attention of people all around the world, which resulted in its great influence to the global economy. Some people said that the Great Depression created problems which weakened the U.S, while others argued that thanks to it, the nation had opportunity to fix itself and experienced a following long prosperous period. My essay will discuss the problems caused by the Great Depression and actions taken by the Federal government and the President to solve these problems. After years by years of optimism, development and prosperity, it was on Tuesday, October 29th,1929 , called “Black Tuesday” when the U.S officially faced the despair of the Great Depression with the Crash of the Stock Market. Though the Falling of the Stock Market was not the only cause of the Great Depression, it was the starting point of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement. The main effect was a sudden and loss of confidence in the economic future. What were the problems created by the Great Depression? Years by years from that time, not...

Words: 2251 - Pages: 10