““The The Dustbowl”Dustbowl”The Great DepressionThe Great Depression

The Second New Deal The Second New Deal Takes HoldTakes Hold

"And then the dispossessed were drawn west "And then the dispossessed were drawn west from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico; from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico; from Nevada and Arkansas, families, tribes, from Nevada and Arkansas, families, tribes,

dusted out, tractored out. Car-loads, caravans, dusted out, tractored out. Car-loads, caravans, homeless and hungry; twenty thousand and homeless and hungry; twenty thousand and fifty thousand and a hundred thousand and fifty thousand and a hundred thousand and two hundred thousand. They streamed over two hundred thousand. They streamed over

the mountains, hungry and restless - restless the mountains, hungry and restless - restless as ants, scurrying to find work to do - to lift, to as ants, scurrying to find work to do - to lift, to

push, to pull, to pick, to cut - anything, any push, to pull, to pick, to cut - anything, any burden to bear, for food. The kids are hungry. burden to bear, for food. The kids are hungry. We got no place to live. Like ants scurrying for We got no place to live. Like ants scurrying for

work, for food, and most of all for land."work, for food, and most of all for land."

from “Grapes of Wrath”from “Grapes of Wrath”

The DustbowlThe Dustbowl

Farmers were some of the hardest Farmers were some of the hardest hit during the Depressionhit during the Depression– Deeply in debt (from buying on credit) Deeply in debt (from buying on credit) – Poor agricultural practicesPoor agricultural practices– A continual droughtA continual drought

The last two items eroded the top The last two items eroded the top soil, the rich, hearty soil, leaving soil, the rich, hearty soil, leaving grainy chat or dust exposed grainy chat or dust exposed

The Dustbowl (cont’d.)The Dustbowl (cont’d.)

This dust was free from the rich This dust was free from the rich nutrients of the top soil and worthless nutrients of the top soil and worthless for plantingfor planting

The exposed dust was carried freely by The exposed dust was carried freely by the wind and often created ‘dunes’ of the wind and often created ‘dunes’ of dust across the Great Plainsdust across the Great Plains

Because of this, 2.5 million people Because of this, 2.5 million people living in the Great Plains moved; living in the Great Plains moved; 200,000 of which moved to California200,000 of which moved to California

April 14, 1935 “Black April 14, 1935 “Black Sunday”Sunday”

The last major ‘dust storm’ swept The last major ‘dust storm’ swept across the Great Plainsacross the Great Plains

It was described as: “The impact is It was described as: “The impact is like a shovelful of fine sand flung like a shovelful of fine sand flung against the face.”against the face.”

Avis D. Carlson Describes Avis D. Carlson Describes it...it...

"People caught in their own yards grope for "People caught in their own yards grope for the doorstep. Cars come to a standstill, for the doorstep. Cars come to a standstill, for no light in the world can penetrate that no light in the world can penetrate that swirling murk. . . . The nightmare is deepest swirling murk. . . . The nightmare is deepest during the storms. But on the occasional during the storms. But on the occasional bright day and the usual gray day we bright day and the usual gray day we cannot shake from it. We live with the dust, cannot shake from it. We live with the dust, eat it, sleep with it, watch it strip us of eat it, sleep with it, watch it strip us of possessions and the hope of possessions. It possessions and the hope of possessions. It is becoming Real. The poetic uplift of spring is becoming Real. The poetic uplift of spring fades into a phantom of the storied past. fades into a phantom of the storied past. The nightmare is becoming life." The nightmare is becoming life."

SteinbeckSteinbeck

Out of this comes John SteinbeckOut of this comes John Steinbeck

Funded by the Federal Writers’ Funded by the Federal Writers’ ProjectProject

Published “The Grapes of Wrath” in Published “The Grapes of Wrath” in 19391939