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Storms Rage in Dust Bowl 

What were the causes of the Dust Bowl?

Causes of the Dust Bowl 

  What states were affected by the Dust Bowl?

States Affected by Dust Bowl

  The Dust Bowl era was during these years.

Years of the Dust Bowl 

Even getting to and from the outhouse was a chore.

This building is disappearing as the dirt piles up.

  What was "Black Sunday?"  When was this event?

Black Sunday

These are the huge clouds of dust that rolled into the plains states on "Black Sunday."

This family from Oklahoma has packed up to head to California.

These people became known as the "Okies."

Dorothea Lange, one of America's greatest photographers, recorded the effects of the Dust Bowl on the people through her photography. 

 Continue your quest by clicking here to view 5 of her photos.  

Be sure to read Lange's account of the experience.  Also, be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them.

  Dorothea Lange 

After arriving in California, many families could not find work and were penniless.

The Farm Security Administration, an agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, built twelve camps for the migrant workers.

What happened to the land in the plains states that was severely damaged by the Dust Bowl?  Check out this site to see what the federal government did to restore the land so it could be useful again.

Federal Government Helps

To find out more about the Dust Bowl, read these books:

Cat Running by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Children of the Dust Bowl by Jerry Stanley

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck