Often referred to as one of
the worst natural disasters in American history; the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s
effected a large number of Midwestern and Plains states. The Dust Bowl is a
term used to describe the severe drought that began in 1931 lasting nearly an
entire decade. Brought on by drought and poor farming conditions the term Dust
Bowl came from the large clouds of dust the wind would stir up due to extreme
lack of moisture. (Timeline: Surviving the Dust Bowl 1931-1939 1996-2013) Post disaster
relief efforts reached across state and federal dividing lines and everyone was
searching for an answer to the nations’ economic woes. Indiana was among the
Midwestern states to be effected by the drought. In an effort to help Southern
Indiana Farmers who had been hard hit by the drought, the Governor of the time Harry
G. Leslie proposed to borrow $2 Million dollars to use on Indiana’s highway
system. (Chicago Daily Tribune 1930) The proposal
intended to spur job growth during a period of severe unemployment for
Midwestern farmers. The plan involved using $1 Million from the federal highway
fund and offering a 4% interest rate to get Indiana Bankers to match the $1Million.
However, the plan was blocked “when the state auditor’s office warned the
governor any further borrowing above the previously determined budget maximum
would be illegal.” (Chicago Daily Tribune 1930) This was just
one small part of a much larger effort to restore the U.S. economy hard hit by
the drought.
Prior to the dust bowl
Midwestern states relied heavily on agriculture to drive their economy. Before
the drought hit many Midwestern states plowed the grass, trees, and shrubbery
from acres of land to create more farming area in an effort to expand the
growing farming industry. In just 5 years approximately 11 Million acres of
grasslands were plowed for the purpose of farming wheat while wheat prices
doubled to $2.00 a bushel. (Burns 2012) The plowing
and farming of wheat continued to expand even after wheat prices fell. This
period of expanded wheat farming would be termed “the great plow up.” (Burns 2012)
In the early 1930’s the rains which had been faithful in the preceding years
had now stopped coming. The over plowed fields dried quickly and high winds
that accompanied the dry conditions helped to pick up the dirt left loose by
lack of roots and sent it swirling across the plains states. Dust clouds would
roll across the plains adding destruction to the already desperate situation of
most Midwesterners. On April 14, 1935 which would later be referred to later as
“Black Tuesday” a dust cloud created by winds over 60 mph barreled across the
U.S. leaving only piles of dirt and destruction in its path. (Timeline:
Surviving the Dust Bowl 1931-1939 1996-2013) Acres of
farmland dried and cracked resembling desert rather than lush crops. The result
was crippling unemployment among a large number of Midwestern and plains
states. For example; In 1933 Toledo, Ohio had an unemployment rate of 80% and
Lowell, Massachusetts was at nearly 90%. (Staff 2009) This shows
just how far reaching the effects of the disaster were.
It was also during this time
that Franklin D. Roosevelt took office and gave his first inaugural address. It
was here he would proclaim a “war against the emergency” and promise relief
efforts from the federal government. (Staff 2009)
One of his first plan implementations created a 4 day bank holiday in which to
stop people from withdrawing their money from the failing banks. He then
proposed an emergency banking act which congress would pass that involved
restructuring the banks and closing those that were “insolvent.”[1] (Staff 2009) This would
begin what would be called the “First Hundred Days” in which Roosevelt would
implement other federal relief efforts. Ending prohibition would become one of
these efforts. In 1933 congress repealed prohibition making it once again legal
to buy, sell, and consume alcohol in the United States. Other efforts would
include the Tennessee Valley Authority Act. This proposal allowed the construction
of dams along the Tennessee River in order to control flooding and generate
hydraulic power for the people of the region. (Staff 2009)
As well as the National Industrial Recovery Act which gave workers the right to
unionize and bargain collectively for higher working wages and better working
conditions. (Staff 2009)
He also established the Public Works Association (WPA) whose main focus was
federally funding public works such as highway construction as a means of
providing employment and reviving the American Economy.
It is the Public Works
Association who would provide the Indiana Governor’s drought relief committee
with the initial $1,000,000.00 from the federal highway fund in order to boost
the economy of Indiana by providing unemployed farmers much needed work.
Indiana Governor Leslie along with other members of his committee made
additional plans to provide even more aid to suffering Indiana workers. His
plan was to convince Indiana Bankers to match the 1 Million dollars provided by
the federal highway fund at a 4% interest rate provided the first 1 Million was
spent in accordance with stipulations set forth by the federal highway fund. (Chicago Daily Tribune 1930) However, the
plan was blocked due to a state budget maximum and any borrowing over this
limit would be illegal.
This was not the only relief
effort the state would employ in order to try to restart the local economy.
Governor Leslie was just one member of the Indiana Drought Relief Committee
dedicated to finding ways to relieve Indiana Farmers of some of their
suffering. Other members would include, Elmer Stout, Indianapolis Banker; Dean
J.H. Skinner of Purdue University; William Fortune, Indianapolis Director of
Red Cross; William H Settle, president of the Indiana Farm Bureau Federation;
and Albert J. Wedeking, State Highways Commission Chairman. J.H. Skinner Dean
of Purdue University, one of the members to sit on the drought relief
committee, made efforts to aid Indiana’s failing agriculture industry by
requesting aid from the National Drought Relief Committee. The National Drought
Relief Committee worked in conjunction with other federal programs such as the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation, The American Red Cross, and the Federal
Farm Board. (File 1930)
Dean J.H. Skinner is recorded as requesting funds for “Emergency Freight Rate
and Petition for Aid Extension.” This program would provide a reduced freight
rate for Indiana. He also is listed as having requested seed loans from the
National Drought Relief Committee in order to help Indiana Farmers get their
crops started again after the drought. (File 1930)
Other organizations also
attempted to aid suffering farmers and their families. The American Red Cross
raised a quota of $10,000,000.00 to provide food, clothing, and other necessary
relief items to people across the U.S. The quota was filled largely by an
outcry for help by the Red Cross when they faced the daunting task of providing
relief to nearly an entire country with nowhere near the amount of funds
necessary to make the relief efforts possible. The President even went public
asking for donations to local Red Cross chapters in order to fill the quota. (Nation Responding to Red Cross Plea n.d.) The outcry
was met with great response. Within weeks many local chapters had already
filled their quotas. The donations helped the Red Cross provide relief to
people who were suffering greatly in many areas of the country. The Red Cross
reported “expending” more than $37,000,000.00 “over and above all of its
receipts for that period.” (Nation Responding to Red Cross Plea n.d.) Some examples
of relief provided to families include shipping 100 pounds of yeast to England,
Arkansas to help fight pellagra.[2]
Red Cross member reported across a thirty mile radius they could find no fires
in kitchen stoves because there simply was no food to cook. They also reported
many citizens could not leave there homes in cold weather because they had no
shoes. (Nation Responding to Red Cross Plea n.d.) In Ashland,
KY over 200 families were reported to be at starvation point.
The nation was in no doubt
desperate for relief, for jobs, for food. In attempts to search for a better
life some packed up and headed west. California experienced an influx of
Midwesterners during the drought. They largely came seeking work on farms and
in fields. Californians were reluctant to open their doors to such a large
number of people. Even California police officers began charging people
crossing the border in to California and jailing those who could not pay. The reported
fee was $60.00 and if one could not produce this amount they were arrested as a
vagrant. One man who had been jailed had to prove he was a land owner in
another state and therefore was not a vagrant before he was released from jail.
(Burns 2012)
California farmers and exporters worked together to drive down labor wages for
migrant workers, only continuing the suffering of the people. Workers traveled
with throughout the season picking crops for meager wages, often living on the
side of the road in between jobs living on almost nothing. (Burns 2012)
Although workers suffered through these harsh living conditions they continued
to strive for food, clothing, and shelter. Most Americans at the time had
become focused almost solely on survival rather than quality of life.
Even with all the efforts put
for the by the state and federal government and other organizations the real
relief would not come until approximately 1939 when rains finally began to fall
in autumn months. (Timeline: Surviving the Dust Bowl 1931-1939 1996-2013) In response to
the drought the nation created many useful social programs that are still in
use today. Although it was a period of harsh living conditions and suffering;
Americans persevered, working in the worst of conditions and accepting whatever
relief was offered or available in their area. A testament to the durability of
human life and the power of human compassion as others reached out to pull
their neighbors and friends up out of the dust and on with life.
Bibliography
Burns, Ken. 2012. "The Dust Bowl: A Film by Ken
Burns." pbs.org. Accessed March 3, 2014.
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/interactive/.
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for Indiana is Blocked by Law." Chicago Daily Tribune, August 20.
File, Secretary of Agriculture's General
Correspondence. 1930. "Drough Relief Program." ecommcode.com.
November 20. Accessed March 3, 2014.
http://www.ecommcode2.com/hoover/research/historicalmaterials/federal/rg16-17.htm.
n.d. "google search results." google .
Accessed March 4, 2014 .
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n.d. "Nation Responding to Red Cross
Plea." Accessed March 4, 2014.
http://classprojects.cornellcollege.edu/stewart/Hoover1/fundraiser.htm.
n.d. "Pellagra." Dictionary.com.
Accessed March 4, 2014. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pellagra.
Staff, History.com. 2009. "New Deal." history.com.
Accessed March 3, 2014. http://www.history.com/topics/new-deal.
1996-2013. "Timeline: Surviving the Dust Bowl
1931-1939." PBS.org. Accessed February 24, 2014.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/dustbowl/.
