Final answer:
During the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, approximately one in six Oklahoma residents, or around 16.67%, fled the state. The Dust Bowl and economic hardship forced 800,000 people to migrate, primarily to California. The correct answer is b. 15%.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Great Depression and Dust Bowl Migration from Oklahoma
During the devastating period of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, approximately one in six Oklahoma residents left the state, which is roughly 16.67% of the population. The Dust Bowl was a catastrophic environmental disaster that combined with the economic downturn severely affected the livelihood of farmers and their families. The crippling dust storms rendered the farmland unproductive, which resulted in about 800,000 individuals, including farmers and those dependent on the agricultural sector, to be displaced.
Oklahoma and other southwestern U.S. states were hit by a combination of drought and poor land management, causing intense dust storms to ravage the region's topsoil. This environmental catastrophe destroyed local economies and forced a mass exodus. The migrants, seeking better opportunities, moved primarily toward California, although few found the better life they were searching for.
The correct answer to the question of what percentage of Oklahomans fled the state during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years is b. 15%, which approximates the one in six ratio.