Question

The Dirty Thirties and the Filthy Fifties The southern Great Plains, an area of the U.S. known for its wheat production, was struck by a severe drought in the early 1930s. Farmers were unable to coax wheat from the parched earth. Huge swaths of plowed land, unanchored by native grasses, were left exposed to the region's strong winds, resulting in years of dust storms that earned the decade the title the Dirty Thirties. Facing poverty and dust inhalation, four hundred thousand people fled the region. Years later, a resurgence of dust storms occurred during another drought. However, the extent of the damage during the Filthy Fifties (as the decade came to be called) offered a contrast to the Dirty Thirties. Not only was the drought shorter, but the land was less vulnerable. In the intervening years, the federal government had restored prairie grasses, while farmers had also applied techniques to prevent soil erosion.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Answer 1

The main idea of the passage is that the southern Great Plains of the United States experienced severe droughts and dust storms in the 1930s and again in the 1950s, but the extent of the damage was less in the latter decade due to efforts to restore prairie grasses and prevent soil erosion. The passage also mentions the impact of the dust storms on farmers and the population in the affected region, including poverty and health problems.

Step-by-step explanation: