Ch.1-10(A)*

The Great Depression and The Dust Bowls are the two main events of the 1930's. The Great depression began slightly before the 1930's, in the 1929 October 24th when the stock market crashed. Due to that, people began losing jobs, as companies needed to save money and did so by firing workers. Those that kept their jobs, had their wages reduced dramatically dropping 43% between 1929 and 1933. With the loss in income, families began to starve and thus were forced to split in order to find work. Men would line up outside in order to have a chance at getting a job and many more had to go to soup kitchens just for food.

The Dust Bowl also contributed to the economic downfall of the US. The Dust Bowl were series of dust storms that took place at the turn of the decade and destroyed the crops and the soil of the south. This was very detrimental to the economy and to those farming that region. Croppers were kicked off  the land by the banks that owned the land. This led to a mass migration of those living in the south to move to better places such as California.

All that happened under President Hoover, who did not help the economy. When President Franklin was elected, he began making reforms under the name of the New Deal. It started in 1933 and ended  approximately in 1938, however many programs made then are still in effect today. The New Deal helped assist those living under poor condition, by placing them in welfare programs as well as finding many of them jobs through numerous programs created by the New Deal.

In the Grapes of Wrath, its starts off with the land being already hit by the dust storms. We know this because many of the farmers have already moved out as well as seeing other farmers being kicked off the land. Not to mention, the very beginning of the book has a dust storm taking place, describing how the dust tore everything up and destroying the soil. What the research has shown is that the Grapes of Wrath is a very accurate book when it concerns the the Dust Bowl. Not only that, when Joad is speaking to Muley and they are discussing those that have left, many left to California, including Muley's family. This accurately represents that both families split up to find food and that many migrated to California for survival.



Sources:New Deal, The Dust Bowl,Picture