The Dust Bowl was the largest ecological disaster in United States history, coinciding with the nation’s worst economic crisis, the Great Depression of the 1930s. Massive dust storms, combined with nearly a decade of drought, wreaked havoc on parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Arkansas. The storms were a relentless threat to the environment and the health and welfare of those in their path. The effects of the dust storms were far-reaching, impacting not just the farmers and their families, but the state of California. Many who were forced off their land viewed the state as a mecca and it became the new home for millions of former Midwesterners. However, many families stayed in the Great Plains and reluctantly turned to the federal government for assistance to make ends meet. The government’s new role as a provider of economic relief and social aid was met with gratitude by some and anger by others.

In this book, Brinkley will take you through a short history of the Dirty Thirties.

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