...Howard ES 110G The Dust Bowl April, 28, 2014 The Dust Bowl The dust bowl happened in the 30’s. It was a period of severe drought. Severe drought and wind erosion ravaged the Great Plains for a decade. The drought damaged the agriculture and the environment in a detrimental way. Because of the drought and the farmers not using dry land farming methods at the time to prevent wind erosion during the dust bowl. The farmers had plowed the soil before the dust bowl disrupting the grasses that would have normally kept the soil in place during high winds. Excessive cultivation of the land in the 1930s exposed dry soil to the wind. The water that was in the ground no longer soaked in it just ran off because there were no roots to help it soak into the ground. When the winds blew it turned the soil into dust that blew everywhere. The dust storms were called “black blizzards”. Visibility was greatly reduced during these times of high wind and made it very hard for people to see in front of them. The drought and erosion of the Dust Bowl affected many people and a lot of land was compromised. The dust storms greatly degraded the productivity of the soil. People’s health was hindered greatly by breathing in all of the dust and particles in it. The air quality was horrible making it unbearable to live in those circumstances. Families had to leave their homes because they couldn’t breathe with the dust getting into their lungs. They were getting pneumonia from the dust in their lungs....
Words: 1179 - Pages: 5
...The Dust Bowl Essay Where was the Dust Bowl? The Dust Bowl was in southeastern Colorado, southwest Kansas, the extreme northwestern of Oklahoma, and Texas. What was the Dust Bowl? The Dust Bowl, also known as the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the town's and the fields. Severe drought and a failure to apply dryland farming methods to prevent wind erosion caused the curiosity of the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl forced many families to move. Some families didn’t leave because they still wanted to see if they could produce goods to make money. One common question asked is when did the Dust Bowl start? The Dust Bowl started in 1931. Another common question asked is how long did the Dust Bowl...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
...The Dust Bowl transpired during the 1930's. The Dust Bowl consisted of gigantic dust storms that destroyed many farms and homes. The Dust Bowl caused many farmers to lose their land due to it destroying it. There were many effects of the Dust Bowl. For instance, in the video "History Brief: Dust Bowl" it explains the effects it caused. Farmlands had many new advances that would help them farm. They had tractors & plowing tools. After the Dust Bowl, farmers had new ideas to use different technology or techniques so they can better prepare for new Dust storms that may transpire in the future. Moving on, in document A, Caroline Henderson described the experiences she faced while living in Oklahoma. (Document A) She explained how Dust to eat was...
Words: 293 - Pages: 2
...The Dust Bowl, also known as the dirty thirties, lasted a decade. It started in 1931 and lasted until 1939. The Dust Bowl happened to come when America was already suffering from the Great Depression. It is said to be one of the worst environmental disasters in history. In this research paper you will learn about life before, during and after the Dust Bowl. People came to the plains in search of a new beginning. Some people came to claim a homestead. A homestead is a piece of farming land with a house on it. What drove them to the plains was the Great Depression. It was an economic crisis where the stock market had crashed. During the Great Depression the U.S.’s business activity was low. Dust storms were created in Oklahoma, Colorado,...
Words: 982 - Pages: 4
...Published in 1979, The Dust Bowl: The Southern Plains in the 1930s, was written by Donald Worster. It was written with the intent of persuading the general public that the 1930’s Dust Bowl was galvanized due to the idea of capitalism. This writing is predominantly ineffective as it provides bias information, is a secondary source, and gives inconceivable solutions to these evident environmental problems. The Dirty Thirties, or more commonly known as the Dust Bowl, was a phenomenon during the 1930s. It was the case of many detrimental dust storms that took over the Great Plains and caused much havoc. These dust storms are generally thought of as a part of nature that was caused by high winds and dry soil. Contrary to this popular belief, Donald...
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...“‘Earth’ is the word we use when it is there in place, growing the food we eat, giving us a place to stand and build on. The ‘Dust’ is what we say when it is loose and blowing in the wind. Nature encompasses both the good and the bad from our perspective, and from that of all living things (Worster, pg. 1). 12-13).” The Dust Bowl, one of the biggest ecological disasters in America, is commonly thought to have been caused by high winds, drought, and bad farming practices, but according to Worster, the Dust Bowl was a consequence of capitalistic and expansionary thinking and the culture it produced. The book Dust Bowl: The Southern Plains in the 1930s, by Donald Worster, provides an in-depth, yet understandable, view of the origins, actions, and effects of the Dust Bowl. And, as it is very valuable as a secondary source, Worster provides an important look at the economic and ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl,...
Words: 969 - Pages: 4
...I have chosen to do my paper on one of the most tragic times in history, the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl started in the early 1930’s and ended in the late 1930’s. The Dust Bowl had a very large impact on the U.S during this time. Also what a “great” time for this to happen because The Depression was also in effect at the time as well. I will also be talking about how the dust bowl could or could not have been prevented. I will also mention how socialistic events and economical events affect the dust bowl. Last but not least I will be talking about hoovervilles, herbert hoover dealt with the situation, and what okies are. In the mid to late 1920’s, the midwest starts to experience an extreme drought, and farmers who are already losing profits,...
Words: 1345 - Pages: 6
...The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of time during the Depression in the 1930s. The Dust Bowl consists of several severe dust storms causing major damage to the environment and farm lands to the American and Canadian prairie lands. During the drought of the 1930s, the soil turned to dust because there was not any natural deep rooted grass to keep it in place. Once the soil was turned to dust the wind carried it eastward and southward in large dark clouds, which blackened the sky. The dark black cloud would reach cities on the East Coast, such as New York and Washington, D.C. The Atlantic Ocean was the final spot where most of the soil ended up deposited in the Atlantic Ocean, carried by strong winds which were created by the dry and bare soil conditions. These terrible dust storms which terrorized many people changing their lives were given names such as "black blizzards" and "black rollers" and they often reduced visibility to just a few feet. The Dust Bowl affected millions of acres of land changing many people lives, causing many to relocate, and other to try to survive, it was possibly the greatest natural disaster of its times. “The Dust Bowl got it name after Black Sunday, April 14, 1935. More and more dust storms had blown up in years leading to that day. In 1932, 14 dust storms were recorded on the Plains. In 1933, there were 38 storms. By 1943, it was estimated that 100 mill acres of farmland had lost all or most of the topsoil to the wind. By April...
Words: 894 - Pages: 4
...Dust Bowls 1930s and 1940s Introduction The dust bowls of the ‘dirty thirties’[1] hurt and helped our nation. They cost us not only currency, but in lives, land, and social instability. Years before, the world has just gotten out of a huge economically depression, and right around the corner, another World War would insure. Beginning of the Events The Great Depression did wonders and caused a lot of problems for the American republic, and the rest of the world. This caused farmers to rush west for the land that became available. This, in turn, caused a great increase in wheat. The price of wheat increased and that meant more profit was made. The land practices became crude, and the same plant planted in the same place ruined...
Words: 715 - Pages: 3
...Imagine yourself having to work on a farm with different storms of dust daily. Now imagine having plenty of your belongings covered in piles and piles of dust and grime. When going back to the “dirty 30s,” as people call them, you had to experience all of this. Tons and tons of debris covered all sorts of items which caused a large number of people to die. The Dust Bowl storms were extremely powerful storms of dust that ravaged the farming and grazing lands, mainly in the Great Plains throughout the 1930s. This ruined and affected a fair amount of people's daily lives, health, and fears throughout the years. It affects their physical, personal, and finally, emotional life in many different ways depending on your spot in society. The Dust Bowl...
Words: 977 - Pages: 4
...The Dust Bowl and the Great Depression took place in the early 1930s and lasted to the late 1930s or mid 1940s. The Dust Bowl took place around the southwestern Great Plains region of the United States. During this time in history this part of the United States was suffering a huge drought which will cause what is now called the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl was mainly caused by the farmers that were growing wheat. This was the reason because the prairie grasses were turned into dry wheat fields which the farms had to plow. Then the wind would start and blow off the top layer of dirt. The winds were so strong that the dust and dirt would come in there homes and cars so there was not a safe place to hide or take shelter. The reason the Dust Bowl happened during the...
Words: 458 - Pages: 2
...During the early 1930’s America had struck poverty, but for the people living in the central plains of the United States had other challenges to face as well. Along with the nationwide depression, these people had to overcome an eight-year drought. This drought brought huge dust storms that lasted from 1931-1939 and had prolonged the Great Depression. For the people living during this time the struggle to live forced many out of their homes, towns, and even state. The Dust Bowl not only prolonged the Great Depression and forced many people to become homeless, but affected them for the rest of their lives. The Dust Bowl affected southern Colorado, southern Kansas, northern Oklahoma, northern Texas, and northeast New Mexico from 1931 to 1939....
Words: 591 - Pages: 3
...critical dust storms that damaged the agriculture of the United States. Also known as the dirty thirties, the Dustbowl took place in the 1930’s. Not only did the dustbowl bring economical, ecological and human misery to the United states but, this was all during a time when the US was already suffering under the Great Depression. “A failure to apply dry land farming methods and severe drought to prevent wind erosion caused the phenomenon.” The drought came in different years, 1934, 1936, and 1939 to 1940. Some regions of the high plains went through droughts for up to eight years. But since back then there was insufficient knowledge on “ecology of the plains, farmers conducted extensive deep plowing of the virgin topsoil of the Great Plains during the previous decade; this had displaced the native, deep-rooted grasses that normally trapped soil and moisture even during periods of drought and high winds....
Words: 523 - Pages: 3
...The Dust Bowl affected many families that lived in the Western Plains. Environmental problems were not only a problem in the 1930s, but continue to be a problem in today's society. The problems that occurred were the Dust Bowl, Lennie getting into trouble, and the wildfires. One of the biggest problems of the 1930's was the Dust Bowl. One example of this problem was that the Dust Bowl was a huge dust storm that harmed many people (White). The huge cloud of dust got trapped in people's homes; the intake of the dust caused people to get very sick. There were thick layers of dust on everything that was in their homes. Another example of this problem was, a period of drought, extreme weather, dust storms, and extreme temperatures (Waiser). The dust caused...
Words: 770 - Pages: 4
...Ever wondered what it was like to not be able to see anything? Have you ever gone outside, and suddenly see a huge mass of dust and dirt that covered everything in sight? Most people nowadays have not heard of the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl was a horrific series of dust storms. This occurred around the 1930s. The Dust Bowl was a intervallic system of dust storms that changed, basically, agriculture for the worse. There was a large drought along Central America and Canada, which was a large part of the Dust Bowl. Many families were forced to leave their homes. Other families stayed and watched their crops and cattle perish beneath the dust. Hundreds of people, and animals, died because of this horrific storm. In 1932, almost 14 dust storms...
Words: 348 - Pages: 2
