1. Depression Hits Texas

2. Great Depression Begins
1929
Stock market crashed
Factories ran out of money and closed
Unemployed people could not buy products so more factories closed
Texas cotton farmers suffered
People could not afford new houses so the timber industry suffered

3. Oil Industry Suffers 1930 the East Texas Oil Field was tapped
Thousands of people moved to east Texas for work
The oil field became the largest in the state
Supply grew, demand remained the same, and prices dropped
In fear of losing oil, people kept drilling and the price kept falling

4. Cotton Farmers
Even though cotton prices dropped, cotton was still the most produced crop
Texas tried to pass the ‘drop a crop’ law to limit production
Under the new law, cotton could not be planted in Texas
The law was ruled unconstitutional

5. Dust Bowl In the panhandle farmers began using tractors
Allowed for massive farms to plant several different types of crops
Overproduction left many farmers without money to replant crops

6. Dust Bowl
Severe drought in the 1930s did not allow grass to grow on plowed fields
Wind carried dust from the Canadian border all the way to central Texas

7. Minorities
AA and MA were fired from jobs if they could not prove citizenship
AA and MA began migrating to Mexico to survive

8. Assignment
Copy and answer the following questions using your notes and pages
List two results of the stock market crash.
What was the ‘drop a crop’ law?
What happened to minorities during the great depression?
Create a chart showing how factories, timber workers, oil production, and cotton crops were affected by the great depression.
Industry
How it was effected
Factories
Timber Workers
Oil Production
Cotton Crops