How Did Drought, and Dust Storms Compound Depression Era Problems for Farmers? THE DUST BOWL

Where was the Dust Bowl?

The Great Plains Buffalo grass roots are 5 feet deep. The ground is moist at 1 foot deep. Sometimes there are droughts. There is always a breeze.

Wheat fields Farmers grew wheat, a lot of wheat. They also raised cattle.

What caused the Dust Bowl disaster? Severe drought (no rain) Overgrazing by cattle Over plowing by farmers High winds All these conditions destroyed the grasses that held the soil in place These storms were called “Black Blizzards” Parts of the Great Plains became known as the Dust Bowl

Farmers plow more land World War I came. Europe needed wheat. American farmers sold it for $2.00 a bushel. After the war, the price dropped to $1.00 a bushel. Farmers still needed to pay their bills, so they plowed more land.

Farmers plowing at night They worked day and night to grow more wheat and pay their bills.

1929 The Great Depression The stock market crashed. Banks failed. Companies failed. People lost their jobs. People lost their homes. Prices dropped. Farmers still had the same debt. No longer $2.00 a bushel for wheat. No longer $1.00 a bushel for wheat. At one point, wheat dropped to 17 cents a bushel.

Buffalo grass helps keep moisture in the ground Wait, let’s think! What happens if there is a drought and continuous wind? BUFFALO GRASS ROOTS GROW 5 FEET DEEP WHEAT ROOTS GROW 8 INCHES IN 2 MONTHS Buffalo grass helps keep moisture in the ground Roots are already very deep Protects the soil from erosion Planted in freshly plowed soil Takes months for roots to grow deep Plowing loosens the soil

The Dust Bowl What is this? https://www.pbs.org/video/dust-bowl-uncovering-dust-bowl/ 5min

Scenes from the Dust Bowl Dust Storm over Oklahoma

Scenes from the Dust Bowl Dust Storm over Texas

Scenes from the Dust Bowl Dust Storm over Kansas

Who did the drought hit the hardest? Migrant workers Poor farmers from Oklahoma and Arkansas headed west to escape the Dust Bowl Many moved to the west coast to find jobs on farms They were not welcomed by locals Locals feared that the migrants would take local jobs Migrant workers lived in poor conditions (tents, no water or electricity)

Dust Bowl Refugees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_ehYkr0NhU

Lack of rain and the overuse of land made farmers problems worse Conclusion: How did drought, and dust storms compound depression era problems for farmers? Farmers were already struggling through the economic depression (due to overproduction of crops) Lack of rain and the overuse of land made farmers problems worse Conditions forced farmers of the Great Plains to migrate west where they were unwelcome and faced an even harder life Many were left displaced/homeless as farm land became useless