The document discusses the events leading up to and during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s. Prior to the Dust Bowl, overfarming during World War I had depleted topsoil in parts of the Great Plains. When drought struck in the 1930s, it caused massive dust storms that lasted for years, devastating crops and livestock. Made worse by the economic hardships of the Great Depression, many farmers lost their livelihoods and homes, feeling forced to migrate west in search of work. President Roosevelt established conservation programs to help rebuild the damaged soil and landscape, though most farmers had already left by the time recovery was possible.

1. Dust Bowl
Brandi Durham

2. Background
 In the 1920s the economy was booming and
stocks were rising.
 The years leading up to the stock market
crash were hard for farmers as there became a
surplus of crops and an decrease in demand.
 This causing many farmers to make money
and not be able to provide for their family.

3. Great Depression
 In 1929 the stock market crashed. This caused
many people to be without jobs and without a
way to provide for their family.
 This caused a lot of poverty throughout all of
the US.

4. Leading up to Dust Bowl
 In the years before the Dust Bowl, there was a
drought in Oklahoma, Arkansas and other
parts of the Great Plains.
 During WW1, many of the farmers in these
places increased their crop production of
wheat to keep up with the wartime.
 They used new mechanical techniques, this
caused the top soil to be gone.
 With the topsoil gone the next layer would be
blown away by the wind.

5. Dust Bowl
 With the 1932 wind storms and the drought,
it caused really bad dust storms that lasted for
years.
 This caused crop-failure and starving
livestock.
 This coupled with the Great Depression
caused farmers' and their families to be bad
off.

6. Effects
 Roosevelt made the Soil Conservation Program to
protect the land and help the soil by setting up ways to
stop the dust storms. This was going to help but it was
a slow process.
 Many farmers lost their land and migrated west to
California to find new jobs.
 All they found were more hardship and no jobs.
 In 1941 the drought was over but the effects were long
lasting.
 Roosevelts programs were working but by the time
they were ready to start farming again most farmers
had already moved away.