The Dust Bowl of the 1930s

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s dropped the economy of the Midwest and South greatly. During the Great Depression, a drought occurred, with no rain in sight. In 1914, Russian wheat exporting was cut out from other countries, and United States had needed to find a new way for the production of wheat. So many farmers had to grow it on land not meant for cultivation, and had to take out loans for the equipment. And the prices only dropped, and more and more had to be produced to meet their debts. Because the lands were at such a dry climate, many crops failed to survive. Farmers lost their crops and source of income.

Farmers couldn’t pay their rent and payments so many lost their land to the bank. And the banks had to close because they weren’t getting any money from the citizens. Many were forced to leave their homes to find work. Citizens had to take out loans in order to pay for most of their debts and needs. Around 2.5 million people had to leave their homes during the 30’s. Water was scarce. It wasn’t until 1941 when rain had been seen, and when World War 2 started to need more wheat, that the farmers could resume their old lives.