What human and environmental factors caused the Dust Bowl, how did it evolve, and how did it shape the U.S. West?”
5 pages double spaced, 15 footnotes, will provide readings to cite
Requirements: 5 pages
Chicago style will work for the format.
Answer preview
Even though human factors played a significant role in the Dust Bowl, natural or environmental factors also led to the phenomenon[1]. Droughts are naturally reoccurring phenomena within the Great Plains. However, a severe and prolonged drought, coupled with unusually high temperatures, hit the Great Plains during the 1930s[2]. The fact that the Great Plains were already susceptible to droughts due to the region’s semi-arid climate led to the lack of rainfall for several consecutive years, further weakening the already vulnerable humus. In addition, the excessive plowing and grazing that occurred during the 1920s exacerbated the 1930s drought, considering such practices deprived millions of acres of land of their drought-tolerant native plants[3]. Due to this, when the dry prairie winds hit the unprotected topsoil, over 24 million acres of land within the Great Plains became a barren desert by 1938[4].
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