Essay On The Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl: The Era of Destruction The 1920’s was a horrible time for all, especially those from the midwest, and those farmers now had to use new and improved methods involving machines and new revolutions to increase the speed and growth of their extravagant crops. But now the damage is done, because World War 1 is over. Most thought this destruction was at an end and only good was to come, but in 1931 things took a turn for the worst and more devastation piled on from an era known as the “Dirty Thirties”. “The most visible evidence of how dry the 1930s became was the dust storm” (Overmiller). This is also more greatly known as the Dust Bowl. “The Dust Bowl got its name after Black Sunday, April 14, 1935”. (Overmiller). And from then on farmers realized no new/advanced technology could get them through this devastation period. Since
…show more content…
these huge storms were so violent, everyone decided to flee from their homeland and find refuge in California. Millions then followed hoping to find new jobs and adjust to a new living style. The dust bowl wasn’t just thick pea soup fog.
It was way worse than that. Mile long dust winds piled through the north. “When the dust clouds appeared from the north, they rolled in like giant waves of black fog, thousands of feet high and miles across” (Franz). Winds 60 miles per hour combined with the dirt and erosion around it and created a massive storm making a blizzard of dusty smoke. The midwest had already been hit by these hardcore storms, but April 14, 1935, was the worst day of all. “More and more dust storms had been blowing up in the years leading up to that day. In 1932, 14 dust storms were recorded on the Plains. In 1933, there were 38 storms. By 1934, it was estimated that 100 million acres of farmland had lost all or most of the topsoil to the winds. By April 1935, there had been weeks of dust storms, but the cloud that appeared on the horizon that Sunday was the worst. Winds were clocked at 60 mph” (Overmiller). And that Sunday was the final load but it was the biggest of thm all completely wiping out everything, leaving absolutely nothing behind. And at that point the effect had become a completely new
issue.
The storm was a huge mass of dirt, wind, and just plain destruction. All crops were destroyed with no residue to be found. The midwest had become a mutated wind tunnel funneling throughout, creating depression, devastation, and starvation. “The Dust Bowl brought ecological, economical and human misery to America during a time when it was already suffering under the Great Depression”. (Drought Disaster). The storm’s took out farms, houses, schools, and many other huge buildings. “During the Depression, schools across the Plains sent students home because of the dust storms” (Dusty Depression). People hurried home coughing and wheezing through the disastrous Storm. Cars with nowhere to go, people just waiting inside until the storm rolls over. People couldn’t get around the storm no matter how hard they tried. Oxygen was scarce and everyone was now breathing in dirt and wind finding some way to find clean air. “Cars come to a standstill, for no light in the world can penetrate that swirling murk... We live with the dust, eat it, sleep with it, watch it strip us of possessions and the hope of possessions. It is becoming Real." (Overmiller) People knew that staying wasn’t an option, but now they had to figure out where to go. California seemed like they only legitimate option.
Thousands and thousands, one after another, fleeing from their homeland hoping to designate most of their life now in California. They all had become migrants, a term many thought they would never resemble. And since plenty of their house essentials were destroyed, they had to accept a clean slate and basically start all over. The move was tiring and boresome. Muscles ached, food supply was low, and there was barely enough water to go around. It was not an easy time, but soon some were gonna be rewarded for their new destination was close by. California had now become overwhelmed with migrant workers. “California – the state that had once advertised for more migrant workers – found themselves overwhelmed by up to 7,000 new migrants a month, more migrants than they needed” (Okies). Unfortunately it became way too overpopulated and they had to narrow it down in terms of money. “So for several months in 1936, the Los Angeles Police Department sent 136 deputies to the state lines to turn back migrants who didn't have any money” (Okies). Many were then out of luck and thrown away back to the filthy trends of where they came. But instead, all those who were washed away, made refuge in Arizona. That also didn’t go over well. “Bordering states like Arizona were angry that California was trying to "dump hoboes" back on them. Eventually, the police were returned to Los Angeles, but the migrants kept coming” (Okies). But the years went on, most found jobs and gained back stable lives. This era was a very horrible and tragic time so most decided to forget the past and only look towards the future.
The dust bowl was one of the most tragic times in the 1900’s. Even though the death count wasn’t insanely high, the tragicness and depression brought by the d
these huge storms were so violent, everyone decided to flee from their homeland and find refuge in California. Millions then followed hoping to find new jobs and adjust to a new living style. The dust bowl wasn’t just thick pea soup fog.
It was way worse than that. Mile long dust winds piled through the north. “When the dust clouds appeared from the north, they rolled in like giant waves of black fog, thousands of feet high and miles across” (Franz). Winds 60 miles per hour combined with the dirt and erosion around it and created a massive storm making a blizzard of dusty smoke. The midwest had already been hit by these hardcore storms, but April 14, 1935, was the worst day of all. “More and more dust storms had been blowing up in the years leading up to that day. In 1932, 14 dust storms were recorded on the Plains. In 1933, there were 38 storms. By 1934, it was estimated that 100 million acres of farmland had lost all or most of the topsoil to the winds. By April 1935, there had been weeks of dust storms, but the cloud that appeared on the horizon that Sunday was the worst. Winds were clocked at 60 mph” (Overmiller). And that Sunday was the final load but it was the biggest of thm all completely wiping out everything, leaving absolutely nothing behind. And at that point the effect had become a completely new
issue.
The storm was a huge mass of dirt, wind, and just plain destruction. All crops were destroyed with no residue to be found. The midwest had become a mutated wind tunnel funneling throughout, creating depression, devastation, and starvation. “The Dust Bowl brought ecological, economical and human misery to America during a time when it was already suffering under the Great Depression”. (Drought Disaster). The storm’s took out farms, houses, schools, and many other huge buildings. “During the Depression, schools across the Plains sent students home because of the dust storms” (Dusty Depression). People hurried home coughing and wheezing through the disastrous Storm. Cars with nowhere to go, people just waiting inside until the storm rolls over. People couldn’t get around the storm no matter how hard they tried. Oxygen was scarce and everyone was now breathing in dirt and wind finding some way to find clean air. “Cars come to a standstill, for no light in the world can penetrate that swirling murk... We live with the dust, eat it, sleep with it, watch it strip us of possessions and the hope of possessions. It is becoming Real." (Overmiller) People knew that staying wasn’t an option, but now they had to figure out where to go. California seemed like they only legitimate option.
Thousands and thousands, one after another, fleeing from their homeland hoping to designate most of their life now in California. They all had become migrants, a term many thought they would never resemble. And since plenty of their house essentials were destroyed, they had to accept a clean slate and basically start all over. The move was tiring and boresome. Muscles ached, food supply was low, and there was barely enough water to go around. It was not an easy time, but soon some were gonna be rewarded for their new destination was close by. California had now become overwhelmed with migrant workers. “California – the state that had once advertised for more migrant workers – found themselves overwhelmed by up to 7,000 new migrants a month, more migrants than they needed” (Okies). Unfortunately it became way too overpopulated and they had to narrow it down in terms of money. “So for several months in 1936, the Los Angeles Police Department sent 136 deputies to the state lines to turn back migrants who didn't have any money” (Okies). Many were then out of luck and thrown away back to the filthy trends of where they came. But instead, all those who were washed away, made refuge in Arizona. That also didn’t go over well. “Bordering states like Arizona were angry that California was trying to "dump hoboes" back on them. Eventually, the police were returned to Los Angeles, but the migrants kept coming” (Okies). But the years went on, most found jobs and gained back stable lives. This era was a very horrible and tragic time so most decided to forget the past and only look towards the future.
The dust bowl was one of the most tragic times in the 1900’s. Even though the death count wasn’t insanely high, the tragicness and depression brought by the d