The Dust Bowl: A Natural Disaster?

There have been many events of unprecedented importance in American history. Everything from the Industrial Revolution’s transformation of the American infrastructure to the World Wars’ strengthening of American political presence throughout the world have helped propel the United States to the great nation it is today. There is one incident that occurred in the 1930’s, though, that is often overshadowed by the occurrence World Wars and Great Depression; the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl was a massive drought centered on the states of Texas and Oklahoma caused by over tilling of farmland. Due to the farmland being over tilled, the vegetation that held the soil in place was no longer present, releasing immense amounts of dust into the air. Though it was technically a “natural disaster”, the Dust Bowl played an important role in helping shape America into the nation it is today, primarily seeing the implementation of many important government policies which led to the shift of modern, more effective farming methods. …show more content…
As many as 2.5 million people (Mass Exodus…) abruptly left the area, causing the collapse of around 9,000 banks over the course of its existence (Ganzel). Many people go to Kansas City, Dallas, and St. Louis. The farmers who decided to remain behind ended up struggling to find buyers for their crops, producing low crop prices and unlivable wages. As a result, the government decided to intervene in an attempt to ease the effects of the Dust Bowl, changing the American government and farming practices