The Dust Bowl was a period of extreme drought and dust storms in the Midwestern and Southern Plains regions of the United States during the 1930s. It caused severe economic hardship and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The Dust Bowl depression was primarily an agricultural depression caused by declining crop prices and soil erosion. The Dust Bowl was a unique event in American history, and survival for those living in the region during the period often depended on their ability to adapt to the harsh conditions.
In contrast, the depression issues facing people in major cities such as New York and Chicago in the 1930s were primarily economic in nature. Cities were hit hard by the decline in industrial production and overall economic decline. People in cities often had to rely on relief efforts such as soup kitchens and charities to survive. The depression issues in cities also included a rise in unemployment, poverty, and crime. Survival in cities during this time was often a struggle, and many people had to rely on their own resourcefulness and the help of others in order to make it through.