The Dust Bowl era refers to a period in the 1930s when severe drought and poor farming practices led to massive dust storms and agricultural devastation in the Great Plains region of the United States.
Related terms
Great Depression: A severe economic downturn that coincided with the Dust Bowl era, causing widespread poverty and unemployment throughout the United States.
Okies: This term refers to people, mainly farmers from Oklahoma and surrounding states, who migrated westward seeking work and refuge from the environmental disaster of the Dust Bowl.
Soil Conservation Act: Legislation passed in 1935 aimed at promoting soil conservation practices to prevent future ecological disasters like the Dust Bowl.