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The Psychologicat Effects of the Dust Bowl

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The Psychologicat Effects of the Dust Bowl
The Psychological Affects of the Dust Bowl

The Dust Bowl was an added devastation accompanying the Great Depression. It lasted from 1930 to 1939 and is sometimes referred to as the “Dirty Thirties”. (Bonnifield) Lack of crop rotation and a heavy drought caused this trying time in American history. Over one third of the United States was swallowed up by dust storms with the concentration of storms being located in northern Texas, the panhandle of Oklahoma, the entire western half of Kansas, south east Colorado, and north east New Mexico. (Gazit) One psychological affect experienced as a result of this great historic disaster must have been depression.

With over a decade of soil misuse and a severe drought that started in 1930 the top soil virtually turned to dust and blew away with the wind. This catastrophe could have been adverted with the practice of crop rotation. Crop rotation is a technique that has been traced back to Roman times. This method prevents the

buildup of pests and/or pathogens. A known occurrence when the same crop is used season after season. Specifically the rotation of deep rooted and shallow rooted crops would have helped to prevent this era in American history. This grave agricultural mistake served to devastate a large population of people.

Because of the lack of top soil crops could not grow therefore farmers and their families became stricken with poverty. Soon after the dust started blowing away it created dust storms which their most fierce covered the sky and there was little to no visibility on the ground, even worse than a blizzard of today the storms were given the name “Black Blizzard” (Gazit). Entire farm machinery virtually disappeared under a blanket of dust deposits left behind by these storms. Even with the aid of relief programs from the federal government entire families still had to pick up and leave behind their land, homes, and way of life. Most of these families were referred to as


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