1. The Dust Bowl

2. Dust Bowl
Causes:
Drought
Poor Land Management
Wind Erosion

3. Drought Mid-Western U.S. hit by major drought in the 1930’s
Long period of little to no rain (dry weather)
Causes crop damage and failure

4. Poor Land Management
Farming techniques that worked in humid climates were being used on the plains
Land was being over-plowed loosening tons of dirt year by year

5. Wind Erosion Over-plowing causes the loosening of dirt
Strong winds in the plains area blows huge amounts of loosened dust and dirt into the air depositing it over a wide multi-state area of the Mid-West

6. Effects of the Dust Bowl
Economic Depression:
No money available to purchase seeds for planting
Prices on crops began to fall.
Loans can’t be paid causing bankruptcy

7. Effects of the Dust Bowl
Migration:
Farmers are forced to abandon their property
Homeless families trade their tractors for wagons and head west for opportunity