The Dust Bowl How To

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The Dust Bowl

To listen to President Roosevelt deliver his famous Fireside Chat concerning the Dust Bowl, click the video screen to the left.

The video includes audio of FDR as well as some amazing photos taken during the Dust Bowl.

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The Great Migration WestWhat Caused the Dust Bowl?

All About the Storms!

The Great Migration West

Quick Quiz!

The Dust Bowl exodus was the largest migration in American history within a short period of time. By 1940, 2.5 million people had moved out of the Plains states; of those, 200,000 moved to California. With their land barren and homes seized in foreclosure, many farm families were forced to leave. Migrants left farms in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico, but all were generally referred to as "Okies".

The second wave of the Great Migration by African Americans from the South (esp. the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas) to the North was larger, involving more than 5 million people, but it took place over decades, from 1940 to 1970.

1. During the Dust Bowl era, the term “okie” was coined to describe which of the following?

Quick Quiz: The Great Migration West

A

B

D

C

Migrant families from the state of Oklahoma.

Migrant families from states other than Oklahoma.

Both A) and B)

None of the above

2. The migration west, which ended in 1940, was larger than the migration north which happened over the next 30 years.

A True

B False

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The Storms!

Quick Quiz!

The unusually wet period, which encouraged increased settlement and cultivation in the Great Plains, ended in 1930. This was the year in which an extended and severe drought began which caused crops to fail, leaving the plowed fields exposed to wind erosion. The fine soil of the Great Plains was easily eroded and carried east by strong continental winds. On November 11, 1933, a very strong dust storm stripped topsoil from desiccated South Dakota farmlands in just one of a series of bad dust storms that year.

Then, beginning on May 9, 1934, a strong two-day dust storm removed massive amounts of Great Plains topsoil in one of the worst such storms of the Dust Bowl. The dust clouds blew all the way to Chicago where dirt fell like snow. Two days later, the same storm reached cities in the east, such as Buffalo, Boston, Cleveland, New York City, and Washington, D.C. That winter (1934–1935), red snow fell on New England.

On April 14, 1935, known as "Black Sunday", twenty of the worst "Black Blizzards" occurred throughout the Dust Bowl, causing extensive damage and turning the day to night; witnesses reported that they could not see five feet in front of them at certain points.

Quick Quiz: The Storms!1. According to the text, what originally encouraged settlers to

move to the area of Oklahoma in which the Dust Bowl occurred?

A

B

D

C

Settlers knew that there was plenty of wide open space.

The weather in the region was very predictable.

Land there was very inexpensive.

Abundant rains had made the land very appealing to farm.

2. The effects of the Dust Bowl were felt as far away as the east coast.

A True

B False

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Causes of the Dust BowlAn unusually wet period in the Great Plains mistakenly led settlers and government to believe that "rain follows the plow" (a popular phrase among real estate promoters) and that the climate of the region had changed permanently. The initial agricultural endeavors were primarily cattle ranching with some cultivation; however, a series of harsh winters beginning in 1886, coupled with overgrazing followed by a short drought in 1890, led to an expansion of land under cultivation.

Continued waves of immigration from Europe brought settlers to the plains at the beginning of the 20th century. A return of unusually wet weather confirmed a previously held opinion that the "formerly" semi-arid area could support large-scale agriculture. Technological improvements led to increased automation, which allowed for cultivation on an ever greater scale. But a drought was soon to come. The native grasses that covered the prairie lands for centuries, holding the soil in place and maintaining its moisture, had been eliminated by the intensively increased plowing. The drought conditions caused the topsoil to grow dry and friable and it was simply carried away by the wind. The dusty soil aggregated in the air forming immense dust clouds which further prevented rainfall.

Quick Quiz!

Quick Quiz: The Causes of the Dust Bowl

1. What industry first dominated the area of Oklahoma effected by the Dust Bowl?

A

B

D

C

Tourism for settlers moving west.

Farming

Ranching

Oil and gas

2. Overplowing of grasslands was a major contributor to the formation of the massive dust clouds.

A True

B False

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Connect With the Dust Bowl Expert:

Gary McManus Mr. Gary McManus is a climatologist at the National Weather Center. Gary is considered by most to be the leading expert on the Dust Bowl era.

Gary has agreed to web cam with any students that are interested in discussing the weather patterns, farming practices, and economic factors that all contributed to the rise of the Dust Bowl era.

To connect and set up a meeting with Mr. McManus to discuss your questions, click the “Connect” button below.

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Want to Know More?Here are some great resources!

•For great video accounts of men and women that lived through the Dust Bowl, check out: Wessel’s Living History Farm

•For a map of the region affected by the Dust Bowl, and a great timeline of events, check out: About the Dust Bowl

•Check out this amazing website that provides viewers with countless interviews, biographies, and videos about the Dust Bowl era: Surviving the Dust Bowl

•And as always, Wikipedia can provide a great starting point in learning more about any topic: The Dust Bowl