Lesson 1: The Great Depression and the 'Dust Bowl'

In the 1930s, the Great Depression caused businesses to close and workers to lose their jobs. In California, competition for the few remaining jobs led to fear and anger.

Tragically, this anger was directed at Mexican Americans. Local governments forced hundreds of thousands of people to return to Mexico in a process called repatriation. Many of those forced to leave were actually citizens of the United States who had lived in California their whole lives.

While the economy crashed, a severe drought ruined farms in the middle of the country, creating the Dust Bowl. Thousands of families packed their jalopies (old cars) and moved west to California.

Locals called these newcomers "Okies" (even though they came from many states). Instead of a paradise, they found hardship. They became migrant farmworkers, moving from farm to farm and living in roadside camps. Their arrival created a surplus of workers, driving wages down for everyone.

To help ending the suffering, President Roosevelt created the New Deal. This program created jobs by paying people to build public works.

In California, these workers built massive landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Hoover Dam (which supplied power to CA). They also built the Central Valley Project, a system of dams and canals that brought water to farms. These projects gave families paychecks and modernized California’s infrastructure.