When the drought hit the Great Plains, roughly one-third of the farmers left their homes and headed to the mild climate of California in search of migrant work. Known as the Okies — the moniker referred to any poor migrant from the Dust Bowl region since only about 20 percent were from Oklahoma — they left behind the parched lands and economic despair.
Many were used to financial stability and home amenities such as indoor plumbing, but had become financially indebted after purchasing mechanized farming equipment and suffering crop failures. They faced foreclosure on home and farm.
California didn't welcome the influx of Okies. Since the number of migrant workers outnumbered the available jobs, tensions grew between Californians and laborers, and public health concerns rose as California's infrastructure became overtaxed.
The New Deal
In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the first of several mortgage and farming relief acts under the New Deal aimed to reduce foreclosures and keep farms afloat during the drought. But by the end of 1934, roughly 35 million acres (14 million hectares) of farmland were ruined, and the topsoil covering 100 million acres (40 million hectares) had blown away [source: Dyer].
Under the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, the government reserved 140 million acres (57 million hectares) as protected federal lands. Grazing and planting would be monitored to encourage land rehabilitation and conservation.
Additionally, in the early 1930s, the government launched the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC), one of the most successful New Deal programs. Three million young men volunteered for forestry and conservation work for the CCC. Called Roosevelt's "Forest Army," they planted trees, dug ditches and built reservoirs — work that would contribute to flood control, water conservation and prevent further soil erosion.
Between 1933 and 1935, the government introduced many more programs and agencies to help people affected by the Dust Bowl, including efforts like the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, the Resettlement Administration, the Farm Security Administration, the Land Utilization Program and the Drought Relief Service.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA), a program started under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, is one of the best-known New Deal programs. The WPA was a work relief program that employed more than 8.5 million people to build roads, bridges, airports, public parks and buildings.
The Soil Conservation Act of 1935
It took millions of tons of dirt and debris blowing from the Plains all the way into Washington D.C., known as "Black Sunday," to move Congress to pass the Soil Conservation Act and establish the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) under the Department of Agriculture.
The SCS (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) promoted healthy soil management and farming practices and paid farmers to put such methods to work on their farms. The legacy of the Service's practices, such as irrigation, crop diversity and no-till farming, continue in the Plains today.
FAQs
Due to low crop prices and high machinery costs, more submarginal lands were put into production. Farmers also started to abandon soil conservation practices. These events laid the groundwork for the severe soil erosion that would cause the Dust Bowl.
What was the main cause of the Dust Bowl? ›
Economic depression coupled with extended drought, unusually high temperatures, poor agricultural practices and the resulting wind erosion all contributed to making the Dust Bowl.
Could the Dust Bowl have been prevented? ›
The catastrophic event was brought on by a series of droughts, but could have been mitigated had farmers at the time been more conscious of soil health. During World War I, American farmers, enticed by the high crop prices, tore up native prairie lands to plant row crops of wheat and corn.
How did they get rid of the Dust Bowl? ›
The extensive work re-plowing the land into furrows, planting trees in shelterbelts, and other conservation methods has resulted in a 65 percent reduction in the amount of soil blowing.
How long did the Dust Bowl last? ›
Between 1930 and 1940, the southwestern Great Plains region of the United States suffered a severe drought. Once a semi-arid grassland, the treeless plains became home to thousands of settlers when, in 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act.
Is the Dust Bowl likely to happen again? ›
The Return of the Dust Bowl
The third hottest summer on record was in 2022. Scientific studies predict dustbowl level temperatures are now two and a half times more likely to happen thanks to climate change.
What was to blame for the Dust Bowl? ›
What circ*mstances conspired to cause the Dust Bowl? Economic depression coupled with extended drought, unusually high temperatures, poor agricultural practices and the resulting wind erosion all contributed to making the Dust Bowl. The seeds of the Dust Bowl may have been sowed during the early 1920s.
What finally stopped the Dust Bowl? ›
The 1930s drought and its associated impacts finally began to abate during spring 1938. By 1941, most areas of the country were receiving near-normal rainfalls. These rains, along with the outbreak of World War II, alleviated many of the domestic economic problems associated with the 1930s.
What sickness was caused by the Dust Bowl? ›
Physically, the Dust Bowl inflicted pain in the lungs. Victims suffered from dust pneumonia in the lungs, “a respiratory illness” that fills the alveoli with dust (Williford). People were scared of breathing because the air itself could kill them (PBS, 14:45).
Did trees help the Dust Bowl? ›
Crop Subsidies Reward Farmers Who Rip Them Out. During the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the federal government planted 220 million trees to stop the blowing soil that devastated the Great Plains.
Factors of the Dust Bowl
During the summers of 1934, 1936 and 1939-40, little rain fell, creating drought conditions in Iowa and across the Midwest. Extreme high temperatures topped 100 degrees sometimes for weeks at a time.
Why didn't it rain during the Dust Bowl? ›
The jet stream normally flows westward over the Gulf of Mexico and then turns northward pulling up moisture and dumping rain onto the Great Plains. During the 1930s, this low level jet stream weakened, carrying less moisture, and shifted further south. The Great Plains land dried up and dust storms blew across the U.S.
Was the Dust Bowl ever fixed? ›
Although it seemed like the drought would never end to many, it finally did. "In the fall of 1939, rain finally returned in significant amounts to many areas of the Great Plains, signaling the end of the Dust Bowl. But the damage remained. By 1939, many regions had lost over 75% of the topsoil to erosion.
What disease did the Dust Bowl cause? ›
Dust pneumonia resulted when lungs were filled with dust. Symptoms included a high fever, chest pains, coughing and breathing difficulties. More than a half million people were left homeless as a result of the Dust Bowl era.
What was the major cause of the Dust Bowl quizlet? ›
3 years of hot weather, droughts and excessive farming were the main causes of the great dust bowl.
What was the most popular crop during the Dust Bowl? ›
Answer and Explanation: The most popular crop during the Dust Bowl was wheat. Wheat farmers were prevalent along the Great Plains, and in fact, it was this prevalence of wheat farming that exacerbated the impacts of the Dust Bowl.
