The Great Depression 1929 - 1941
Scenes from the Dustbowl: A Dustbowl farm. Coldwater District, north of Dalhart, Texas. This house is occupied; most of the houses in this district have been abandoned.
California at Last: Four families, three of them related with fifteen children, from the Dust Bowl in Texas in an overnight roadside camp near Calipatria, California.
California at Last: Example of self-resettlement in California. Oklahoma farm family on highway between Blythe and Indio. Forced by the drought of 1936 to abandon their farm, they set out with their children to drive to California. Picking cotton in Arizona for a day or two at a time gave them enough for food and gas to continue. On this day, they were within a day's travel of their destination, Bakersfield, California. Their car had broken down en route and was abandoned.
Scenes from the Dustbowl: Drought-stricken farmer and family near Muskogee, Oklahoma. Agricultural day laborer. Muskogee County.
On the Move: Car on siding across tracks from pea packing plant. Twenty-five year old itinerant, originally from Oregon. "On the road eight years, all over the country, every state in the union, back and forth, pick up a job here and there, travelling all the time." Calipatria, Imperial Valley.
On the Road: Family walking on highway, five children. Started from Idabel, Oklahoma. Bound for Krebs, Oklahoma. Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. In 1936 the father farmed on thirds and fourths at Eagleton, McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Was taken sick with pneumonia and lost farm. Unable to get work on Work Projects Administration and refused county relief in county of fifteen years residence because of temporary residence in another county after his illness.
Toll of Uncertainty: Children of Oklahoma drought refugee in migratory camp in California.
Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children stranded because of the drought.
Boys were forced to work to help provide for family. Migratory boy in squatter camp. Has come to Yakima Valley for the third year to pick hops. Mother: "You'd be surprised what that boy can pick." Washington, Yakima Valley.
The crowds on Wall Street after the stock exchange crashed. Taken by Claire Suddath
Enduring Life: Migrant worker on California highway. With the stock market at an all time low, people were in search for new jobs to help supper their families.
After the Stock Market crashed many men were left off due to the finical struggles of certain cooperations/ businesses This image shows how the kids want there Parents to have jobs.
The unemployment rate increased a lot during the great depression. People who lost their jobs could not feed themselves, pay their rent, and support their family. This forced families together in crowded houses or apartments. It left people begging for jobs.
Banks begin to close leaving the people associated with such banks, unable to take out their money.
When it seemed as though America was doomed, FDR introduced his New Deal plan which led the nation to its recovery up until the start of World War II.