Dust Bowl

            
             The late 1920's and early 1930's was a difficult time in America. The great depression of 1929 struck the US with a tremendous wave of unemployment and poverty, driven by a great credit crisis that unstabilized the economy. In the years afterwards, the government tried to reactivate the economy by undertaking major projects. Through that help, thousands of jobs were created and most importantly, the paid employees spent money, paid taxes, and consumed goods, reactivating the American industry. It is in this context that the "Dust Bowl' of the Great Plains emerged. The infertility of the land and the take-over of farms by creditors characterized this seven year long catastrophe. .
             When describing the Dust Bowl, it is inevitable to describe the rare drought years the American Great Plains faced. Although the 1930s drought is often referred to as if it were one, there were at least 4 different drought events: 1930-31, 1934, 1936, and 1939-40. These events occurred one after the other, making it impossible for the affected regions to recover properly before another drought began. As a result of the aridity, the rich and fertile soil farmers used to .
             grow their crops on became dust. It was impossible for crops to grow as good and as abundant as before the drought emerged. Such a problem created a bigger one. The inability to grow and sell crops unabled the farmers to pay their loans, leading to their displacement. Nature had played a dirty trick on the land workers who were now paying with their homes, health, and lives. .
             The drought in the 1930's played an important role in the devastation of the Great Plains' economy. However, it was not the only cause. The migration in the late1800s to the then fertile plains was not regulated by the central government. After assigning lots to the new arrivals, the soil was over exploited, commercial crops replaced natural grasses, and livestock consumed what was left.