Dust Bowl Dbq

During the 1930s, a great depression occurred and farmers had lost crops and profit. The dust bowl affected many people and their living conditions in the states of Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. This harsh drought lasted from 1934 to 1937 and caused many disappointments in the time being. The dust bowl was a devastating time for farmers and their families, because living conditions were rough, farmers didn't make any profit, and sickness occurred.

First of all, living conditions were by far the worst. Dust would wander into food that was cooking and cause a vague taste as they ate. Some women would place wet sheets upon windows to filter the air. They would also cover key holes to prevent dirt from entering their homes. It was difficult to travel with the highways and railroads covered with dirt, people had to shovel the dirt so they could move forward. An other issue with traveling, was the dust storms would clog up car motors and farming equipment. The dirt was so bad, that many people had to sweep mounds of it out of their homes. The dust and sandstorms were so severe, that roads and houses were buried underneath it. Farmers received the name "exodusters" which meant, farmers leaving the region. Conditions were so bad that half of

the population left and went to search for better.

Secondly, farmers couldn't make any profit, because crops were destroyed, topsoil was picked up and swirled into dust clouds called "black blizzards," and plowing was impossible.

Farmers couldn't afford to support their families or themselves, therefore they were struggling to live. An acre was sold for $5 during the dust bowl was then commanded to $50 an acre, farmers then knew they wouldn't have any chance to keep their farms and make profit. Dust storms were crucial to livestock, cattle were choked to death and their stomachs were full of dirt. Most had lost faith and moved on, while others stayed and hoped for the best. Farmers lost a large portion of money and ended up abandoning their

farms.

Thirdly, sickness occurred and everyone had to wear masks to prevent it. Dirt entered into the lungs causing them to become inflamed and breathing became difficult, it also caused one third of the population's death from pneumonia, especially children. People coughed up clods of dirt up to four inches long and pencil-thick. Soil erosion would blow dust and people were getting ill from it. People caught outside was a hazard, because they could suffocate within minutes of breathing in all of the dirt. People ate and breathed in the dust for years and that didn't make preventing sickness any better. The air was very dirty and dark, most of time visibility wasn't an option. The air was also dangerous and threatening to the health of the community.

Lastly, in 1938 the rain came back and farming became possible again. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) was formed to promote farm rehabilitation in 1935. The group taught farmers how to plow and plant with proper techniques. The drought came to an end around the 1940s and farmers learned that moisture must be stored to carry crops through dry periods. During World War II, most of the land was rehabilitated and the government insisted farmers to plant trees and grass, then they plowed up grasslands and replaced it with wheat but was instructed to restore millions of acres of wheat back to grasslands by Congress in 1950. When the 1950s and 60s came around, drought did happen but wasn't near as severe as before. Life became easier after that and there were a decrease in worries about rough living conditions, no profit, and sickness.