1. Dust Bowl Agricultural practices and years of sustained drought; farmers kept plowing and planting and nothing would grow Ground cover that held the soil was gone. Plains winds – dust drift like snow 1930’s Lasted almost ten years People left Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arkansas Car, caravans, homeless, hungry 20,000 – 200,000 people

2. MIGRANT WORKERS Displaced agricultural workers 30% unemployment rate Traveling to California to find work California – mild climate; diversity of crops; staggered planting and harvesting cycles; “promised land” Southwest in need for farm workers Country’s major east-west thoroughfare, U.S. Highway 66 – “Route 66”; “the Mother Road,” “The Main Street of America,” “Will Roger’ Highway” “Okies” – 20% from Oklahoma Newly arriving migrants too much for California; labor pool was scarce; entire family working could not support themselves on low wages. Camps along irrigation ditches in the farmers’ fields; fostered poor sanitary conditions; public health problem To maintain steady income, followed the harvest around the state. Harvesting cotton, lemons, oranges, peas, etc. agricultural centers, Oxnard to Yuba City; most in San Joaquin Valley

3. Migrant Farmworkers

4. John Steinbeck Born in Salinas, California, 1902 Characters are immigrants from Mexico or other parts of the United States who went to California looking for work or a better life. Of Mice and Men; farmland of the Salinas Valley; ranch in the story is near Soledad, south-east of Salinas on the Salinas River; Weed is nearby. 1880’s – 1930’s – numerous men traveled the countryside harvesting wheat. Earned $2.50 - $3.00 a day, plus food and very basic boarding. Agencies set up under the New Deal, by Pres. FDR, sent farm workers to where they were needed. George and Lennie get their work cards from Murray and Ready’s, one of these agencies.

5. The American Dream Since the first settlers in the 17 th century, immigrants dreamed of a better life in America. They arrived to escape persecution, or poverty, to get rich in the goldfields. What many found were nightmares; slavery, Civil War; slums; corruption Dream ended with Wall Street crash 1929 Great Depression

6. Dream for the Future Throughout the reading of this book, you will be reflecting on the dreams that you have for the future. Are you encouraged by others to strive to see your dreams become a reality, or is there always someone trying to destroy that dream, as in “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns, where the farmer destroys the home of the mouse albeit accidentally.

7. PREJUDICE Definition an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable. unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, esp. of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group. to affect with a prejudice, either favorable or unfavorable: His honesty and sincerity prejudiced us in his favor.

8. RACISM belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.