Dust Bowl Research Paper

The effects of the Dust Bowl

““Black blizzards” or windblown soil blocked the sun and piled the dirt in drifts. Occasionally the dust storm swept completely across the country to the east coast. Thousands of families were forced to leave the region at the height of the great depression in the early and mid 1930’s.” The Dust Bowl was a devastating time period that affected many americans. In the 1930’s many Americans were affected by the dust bowl. They were affected by mass migrations, increased crime rate and the devastating effects of the dust. The Great Depression caused mass migrations of the American people. In text 1, the second picture depicts many people in the back of a truck, presumably because they are migrating to the west. The

The Great Plains suffered from a drought and over cultivation. These factors contributed to the winds sweeping the top layer of dust off the earth. Because of this, the Agricultural industry collapsed. In text 1, the first photo shows an abandoned house with a pile of dirt next to it. Judging from the dilapidated state of the house, it had not had inhabitants for an immense amount of time. This photo is an example of the effects of the dust on the everyday lives of Americans. The third photo shows three men struggling to move in the sea of airborne dirt. These men are presumably trying to get food or to shelter, but are being halted by the relentless dust. This shows how the dust can create massive problems for people outside and in houses. Text 3 states that “Occasionally the storms lasted several days, the blowing soil piling up in drifts against buildings and along fences. Highways were obliterated, buried under inches or even feet of sandy dust.” These consequences slowed infrastructure and in turn slowed the economy, contributing to the depression. This evidence is portrayed by the obvious disarray caused by this natural and economic