The Dust Bowl

By: Sarah Santamaria, Adriana Gutierrez and Valerie De PazMT 5 in U.S History

MT 7-10 in AP English Level 4 Project

Who were the most affected during the Dust

Bowl? Why?

Farmers

Why?

Farmers land was

denatured of natural

resources

How?

Severe Drought (No rain)

Overgrazing by cattle

Over plowing by farmers

All these conditions

destroyed grasses that

held the soil in place

These storms were

called “Black

Blizzards”

Parts of the Great

Plains became known

as the Dust Bowl

What obstacles did families face during the Dust Bowl?

Hunger

No work, no money, no food

Unemployment Farms were destroyed Too many with no work  

Migration Slept in tents, along the

road poor transportation

Loss of Property land (farms) housing money

Obstacles

What did the farming families do

after the Dust Bowl occurred?

After the Dust Bowl Occurred

Most farmers migrated to Southern California hoping to find farm jobs in the fertile areas.

-Many did not even make it to California due to: malnutrition starvation diseases

What were the struggles the farming families encountered

in California?

The struggles were…

Work

Very little job opportunities Large population Dry farms

Worked for very low wages

 

Housing Americans were cruel

to the migrants Called “Okies”

Migrants had no homes

Usually lived in Hoovervilles or Shantytowns Or camped out in tents

What were some of the programs that were created and how did they help the farmers?

Government Agencies

Resettlement Agency (RA)

Established to help

needy families move

into government-

planned

communities.

The Farm Security Administration (FSA)

Helped poor farmers,

sharecroppers, tenant

farmers and migrant

workers

45%

22%

18%

8%

7%

White 43%Mexican 21%European 17%Filipino 8%Japanese 7%

Population of Migrants in California:

The Grapes of Wrath

Published:1939

Written by: John Steinbeck

Type of work: Novel

Genre: Realistic fiction

Setting; Oklahoma,

California, and points

along the way

Late 1930’s

Tone: sympathetic or

mournful

After being forced to leave their farm due to

the Dust Bowl, The Joad family made their way to California with unexpected events ahead.

Tough times along the road heading California

Plot

The Grapes of Wrath

Themes:

Man’s inhumanity to those around them

The saving power of Family and Fellowship

The Multiplying Effects of Selfishness

How does this book relate to this topic?

Dust Bowl Lost Farms Homelessness and jobless Forced to leave towards

California Poor transportation Not welcomed to California Migrants were mislead

about the goods of California

The Grapes of Wrath Joad family had lost land Searching for jobs in

California Car broke down couple of

times Had to lie to get in California They lost family members on

the way Don’t know if the Joad family

is going to make it

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http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/ Wilhite, A. D. (2007). Dust Bowl. Oklahoma’s Historical Society’s: Encyclopedia of Oklahoma

History and Culture. Retrieved from: http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/D/Du011.html

Gregory, J. (2012). The Great Depression in Washington State. Pacific Northwest Labor & Civil Rights Projects. Retrieved from: https://depts.washington.edu/depress/

WGHB. (2013). Timeline of the Great Depression. P.B.S. Retrieved from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/rails-timeline/

Nelson, C. About the Dust Bowl. Modern American Poetry. Retrieved from: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/dustbowl.htm

Thompson, C. (2008, Nov. 24). The Dust Bowl. Slideshare. Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/ccsark/the-dust-bowl-odyssey-ppt-presentation

The Dust Bowl. Your History Site. Retrieved from: yourhistorysite.com/US%20History%20PowerPoints/dustbowl.ppt

Life in the Dust Bowl. Retrieved from: www.greenville.k12.sc.us/.../Life%20in%20the%20Dust%20Bowl.pp

Cabrera, I. (2012, Mar. 25). The Dust Bowl. Slideshare. Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/Isabel_Cabrera3/the-dust-bowl-ppt

Wilson, R. (2009, Jun. 2). The Dust Bowl. Slideshare. Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/Anonymous44/the-dust-bowl-1522887

Citations