This is a very sad installment of "The American Experience". It's about the so-called 'Dust Bowl'--a portion of the American Midwest that became a virtual desert in the 1930s. Part of this was because there was a terrible drought and part of it was because the land had been so changed with HUGE farms and clear-cutting that there wasn't anything to hold the soil--and enormous dust storms were the norm. As a result, farms were completely destroyed and a lot of folks died as a result of lung-related illnesses (such as pneumonia) and starvation. Although it's associated with Oklahoma due to the novel "The Grapes of Wrath", it actually affected a much larger region--including Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. And, indirectly, giant dust storms effected a HUGE portion of America--with huge amounts of dust being deposited in places such as Chicago and Washington, DC.
All in all, a typically well made episode of "The American Experience", though a bit more wistful and sad than usual, that's for sure. In particular, when you hear a woman talking about the death of her brother due to the dust, after more than 60 years, there is still a lot of pain in her voice--and be sure to have some Kleenex handy just in case.
All in all, a typically well made episode of "The American Experience", though a bit more wistful and sad than usual, that's for sure. In particular, when you hear a woman talking about the death of her brother due to the dust, after more than 60 years, there is still a lot of pain in her voice--and be sure to have some Kleenex handy just in case.
