The Great Depression and a severe drought in the 1930s led to the Dust Bowl in the southern plains of the United States. Prolonged drought dried out the topsoil, which had also been depleted by earlier farming practices. Strong winds carried away the loose soil in massive dust storms, destroying crops and farmland. Many farmers lost their livelihoods and were forced to migrate west to California in search of work, though many found little opportunity when they arrived. By 1941 the drought had lifted, but the Dust Bowl had already caused widespread economic and social disruption across the plains states.

1. Brent Jenkins

2. In 1929, the stock market
crashed, factories laid off
workers. Unemployment
reached an all time high
because people did not have
jobs to buy food, so they
relied on soup and bread
lines to survive.

3. The great depression hit
farmers hard. During World
War I farmers in Kansas,
Oklahoma, Texas, and New
Mexico grew more wheat to
meet the demands for food
for the soldiers. By doing
this it had torn up the
grasses that maintained the
soil stability.

4. When the war had ended
farmers reintroduced
livestock to these areas
which loosened the soil even
more. This along with no
rain dried the land even
more.

5. In the 1930’s the droughts
turned the soil to dust.
Then in 1934 “The Dust
Bowl” came about when
strong wind storms hit the
southern plains causing the
loose soil to blow up forming
dust clouds and covering
everything in its path.

6. On April 14, 1935 a large
dust storm hit the southern
plains causing people to go
indoors to avoid the choking
black storm. This day
became known as Black
Sunday.

7. The drought, loose soil and
dust storms caused crops to
fail, livestock to starve, and
farmers to lose everything.
Farmers were forced to
migrate west to California
looking for work and a
better life.

8. When they got to California
there were not many jobs
for the migrants. The
migrants were jobless and
homeless. Most migrants
lived in tents or cardboard
shacks without water or
electricity.

9. By 1941, the drought in the
plains were over and many
of the soil conservation
programs were working to
build the soil back up to be
planted again. However,
millions of people had
already moved from the
plain states and settled into
new lives and livelihoods
away from the homes they
once knew.