What was the Dust Bowl?

The "Dust Bowl" was the name given to the southern Plains in the United States during the terrible ecological disaster that struck the area in the 1930s. Basically, the region had been overfarmed for decades, particularly in the early twentieth century, when grain prices reached historically high levels. When an extended severe drought struck the region, it caused the loosened topsoils to dry up. This made farming almost impossible. Compounding this disaster were massive dust storms kicked up by high winds that blocked out the sunlight, caused respiratory illnesses (especially among the children and elderly) and buried cars, livestock, and even houses under piles of choking, powdery dirt. The region became basically uninhabitable for many people. Of course, this catastrophe only compounded the devastating effects of the Great Depression, which struck the farming sector perhaps harder than anywhere else. Millions of residents of the southern Plains, nicknamed "Okies," made their way to the West Coast and other locations, where they took low-paying jobs in order to eke out a living.