Farming Before
and
During The Great Depression
How did the downfall of farming contributed to the start of The Great Depression?
For most of the Americans in the1920s, they enjoyed the new roaring lifestyle created by the rising economy and the birth of new technologies. However, the percentage of Americans who suffered the most during this time period were the farmers. After WW1 ended, American farmers found themselves stepping early into The Great Depression. There were excess surplus farm products in the market, which were way over the demand of the consumers and eventually led the price of the farm goods to drop. In addition, to the American farmers, much of the Roaring '20s was a continual cycle of debt, which was caused from falling farm prices and the need to purchase expensive machinery, farmers competed with each other by purchasing new equipment and machinery. Unfortunately, when the farmers thought that they had already been pushed back to the edge of the cliff, the stock market crashed in 1929, which sent prices in an even more downward cycle. With every odds against them, many American farmers wondered if their scrimpy lives would ever improve.
In January 1933, Ed O’Neal, the farmer’s union leader had said: "Unless something is done for the American farmer we will have a revolution in the countryside within less than 12 months." Seeing the suffrage that the farmers were facing day by day, the first major New Deal took imitative, this was created to help farmers have the opportunity to raise farm prices to a level similar or equal to the years 1909-14; thanks to the WW1 this was the time period where American farmers prospered since the demand for food was really high. Toward this end, the Agricultural Adjustment Administration was created. A simpler way of explaining this act is that the American farmers should produce less products so the demand will increase, if the demand increases then there will be an opportunity to increase the prices of the crops and livestock. The AAA also paid the farmers to destroy their crops and livestock. This action by the AAA did not receive many support from the citizens because the government were slaughtering millions of baby livestock and wasting lots of food when a lot of the citizens were starving and unemployed during The Great Depression. Up to as many as 6 million little pigs were slaughtered to meet the subsidy guidelines, and millions of acres of planted crops were plowed up and destroyed. Eventually the AAA was announced unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1936. Despite the inhumane and desperate action the government took in just a few years, positive progress were made as the farmers’ income increased due to higher demand and higher prices.
When the farmers were receiving aid from the AAA to destroy their crops and reduce the excess surplus in the market, the tenant farmers and sharecroppers did not receive any of those aid because the subsidy went to the landlord. With the newly added income, the owners often bought better machinery, and this action further reduced the need for farm labor, which contributed to the starting of The Great Depression.
For most of the Americans in the1920s, they enjoyed the new roaring lifestyle created by the rising economy and the birth of new technologies. However, the percentage of Americans who suffered the most during this time period were the farmers. After WW1 ended, American farmers found themselves stepping early into The Great Depression. There were excess surplus farm products in the market, which were way over the demand of the consumers and eventually led the price of the farm goods to drop. In addition, to the American farmers, much of the Roaring '20s was a continual cycle of debt, which was caused from falling farm prices and the need to purchase expensive machinery, farmers competed with each other by purchasing new equipment and machinery. Unfortunately, when the farmers thought that they had already been pushed back to the edge of the cliff, the stock market crashed in 1929, which sent prices in an even more downward cycle. With every odds against them, many American farmers wondered if their scrimpy lives would ever improve.
In January 1933, Ed O’Neal, the farmer’s union leader had said: "Unless something is done for the American farmer we will have a revolution in the countryside within less than 12 months." Seeing the suffrage that the farmers were facing day by day, the first major New Deal took imitative, this was created to help farmers have the opportunity to raise farm prices to a level similar or equal to the years 1909-14; thanks to the WW1 this was the time period where American farmers prospered since the demand for food was really high. Toward this end, the Agricultural Adjustment Administration was created. A simpler way of explaining this act is that the American farmers should produce less products so the demand will increase, if the demand increases then there will be an opportunity to increase the prices of the crops and livestock. The AAA also paid the farmers to destroy their crops and livestock. This action by the AAA did not receive many support from the citizens because the government were slaughtering millions of baby livestock and wasting lots of food when a lot of the citizens were starving and unemployed during The Great Depression. Up to as many as 6 million little pigs were slaughtered to meet the subsidy guidelines, and millions of acres of planted crops were plowed up and destroyed. Eventually the AAA was announced unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1936. Despite the inhumane and desperate action the government took in just a few years, positive progress were made as the farmers’ income increased due to higher demand and higher prices.
When the farmers were receiving aid from the AAA to destroy their crops and reduce the excess surplus in the market, the tenant farmers and sharecroppers did not receive any of those aid because the subsidy went to the landlord. With the newly added income, the owners often bought better machinery, and this action further reduced the need for farm labor, which contributed to the starting of The Great Depression.
After years and years of plowing and planting, and also taking no action of depositing nutrients back into the ground and soil, much of the soil of the Great Plains and become depleted and weak. The Great Plains soon became a dried up and dusty area, and the great winds blew clouds of dust to cover homes across the region. This event is known to be the famous “Dust Bowl” that occurred during The Great Depression. Residents of the "Dust Bowl" suffered a lot as they inhaled in more dust than air and spent most of their time sweeping off dust than farming to survive. Most of them eventually moved west in search of better times. Here is a letter from an Oklahoma farmer named Mrs. Caroline A. Henderson, it was written to her friend in Maryland to update about her living condition during the Dust Bowl in 1935:
EVA, Okalhoma
June 30, 1935
“DEAR EVELYN: --
Your continued interest in our effort to 'tie a knot in the end of the rope and hang on' is most stimulating. Our recent transition from rain-soaked eastern Kansas with its green pastures, luxuriant foliage, abundance of flowers, and promise of a generous harvest, to the dust-covered desolation of No Man's Land was a difficult change to crowd into one short day's travel. Eleanor has laid aside the medical books for a time. Wearing our shade hats, with handkerchiefs tied over our faces and Vaseline in our nostrils, we have been trying to rescue our home from the accumulations of wind-blown dust which penetrates wherever air can go.”
The ongoing drought did not help Mrs. Henderson at all as her land slowly became a “No Man’s Land” with growing number of dust rather than food. People had to give up their jobs and time just to stay at home and sweep off the dust. Dealing with this was unpleasant for all residents stuck living in the Dust Bowl, so to deal with this situation, the government issued The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act. This act paid farmers to plant clover and alfalfa instead of wheat and corn. These crops return nutrients to the soil. With nutrients back into the soil, farmers are able to plant their crops again while taking better care of their soil.
EVA, Okalhoma
June 30, 1935
“DEAR EVELYN: --
Your continued interest in our effort to 'tie a knot in the end of the rope and hang on' is most stimulating. Our recent transition from rain-soaked eastern Kansas with its green pastures, luxuriant foliage, abundance of flowers, and promise of a generous harvest, to the dust-covered desolation of No Man's Land was a difficult change to crowd into one short day's travel. Eleanor has laid aside the medical books for a time. Wearing our shade hats, with handkerchiefs tied over our faces and Vaseline in our nostrils, we have been trying to rescue our home from the accumulations of wind-blown dust which penetrates wherever air can go.”
The ongoing drought did not help Mrs. Henderson at all as her land slowly became a “No Man’s Land” with growing number of dust rather than food. People had to give up their jobs and time just to stay at home and sweep off the dust. Dealing with this was unpleasant for all residents stuck living in the Dust Bowl, so to deal with this situation, the government issued The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act. This act paid farmers to plant clover and alfalfa instead of wheat and corn. These crops return nutrients to the soil. With nutrients back into the soil, farmers are able to plant their crops again while taking better care of their soil.
Another major problem faced by American farmers was mortgage foreclosure. Farmers found themselves unable to keep up with the monthly payments, which caused many farmers to lose their property to their banks. The situation grew desperate day after day; many farmers pooled resources to bail out their friends from having their land taken away. For example, Harvey Pickrel, a citizen who lived through this situation, remembers going to a Penny Auction where "some of the farmers wouldn't bid on anything at all – because they were trying to help the man that was being sold out." At these auctions across the Midwest, farmers showed up as a group and did everything they could to prevent any real bidders from placing bids, these actions were taken to save their friend’s properties from being sold by the banks. Also, a few Vigilante groups formed to frighten off the bill collectors. In Le Mars, Iowa, an angry mob beat a foreclosing judge to the brink of death in April 1933.
Franklin D. Roosevelt finally noticed this situation and decided to stop the madness. The Farm Credit Act, passed in March 1933 refinanced many mortgages in danger of going unpaid. The Frazier-Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act allowed any farmer to buy back a lost farm at a low price over six years at only one percent interest. These acts greatly helped the farmers a lot and allowed them to have more opportunities to regain their lands.
Franklin D. Roosevelt finally noticed this situation and decided to stop the madness. The Farm Credit Act, passed in March 1933 refinanced many mortgages in danger of going unpaid. The Frazier-Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act allowed any farmer to buy back a lost farm at a low price over six years at only one percent interest. These acts greatly helped the farmers a lot and allowed them to have more opportunities to regain their lands.
Bibliography
1. Henderson, Caroline. Farmer. June 30, 1935.
2. Pickrel, Harvey. Farmer. 2003.
3. O’Neal, Ed. Farmer. January 1933.
Footnotes
1. "Farmers and the New Deal." Farmers and the New Deal. January 1, 2014. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/New_Deal_farmers.htm.
2. Ganzel, Bill. "Penny Auctions Fight Foreclosures during the Depression." Penny Auctions Fight Foreclosures during the Depression. January 1, 2003. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/money_10.html.
3. Henderson, Caroline. "Letters From the Dust Bowl." The Atlantic. May 17, 1936. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1936/05/letters-from-the-dust-bowl/308897/.
1. Henderson, Caroline. Farmer. June 30, 1935.
2. Pickrel, Harvey. Farmer. 2003.
3. O’Neal, Ed. Farmer. January 1933.
Footnotes
1. "Farmers and the New Deal." Farmers and the New Deal. January 1, 2014. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/New_Deal_farmers.htm.
2. Ganzel, Bill. "Penny Auctions Fight Foreclosures during the Depression." Penny Auctions Fight Foreclosures during the Depression. January 1, 2003. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/money_10.html.
3. Henderson, Caroline. "Letters From the Dust Bowl." The Atlantic. May 17, 1936. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1936/05/letters-from-the-dust-bowl/308897/.