The Dustbowl

First, a background on agriculture. Before and during the First World War, millions upon millions of farmland was bought and cultivated to feed the evergrowing demand. America was very agriculturally based still and Europe was at war and needed our food. Since Europe was more focused on industry compared to the U.S., American farmland was bought up at inflated rates and with high interest loans.

In the 20's this large surplus of farmland, now no longer needed to support Europe, had trouble staying economically viable. Along with this, the large technological improvements greatly increased the manhour productivity on farms, lowering the acreage demand. The shift in style of clothing away from wool and cotton further exacerbated the farmland problem. The farmer at the time, unlike the factories, had no means of price control. This means that the farmer had to sell at the lowest price at auctions but had to buy at the high retail prices. It was at this time the country was making a shift towards industry partly due to the increased demand from war-torn Europe and partly due to the lack of demand for more farms. Along with this, the U.S. government dropped their subsidies on agriculture goods and placed them on industrial goods instead. The Tariffs (LINK) did not help out the situation either.

Despite drastic changed in technology and factory-like farms, changes in the way of life and the mindset of most Americans, politicians still love the quintessential farmer. The small American farmer who is always struggling to make ends meet is still considered the true American.

The Dustbowl...