California History 1937

1937, two years before World War 2 began, America was already living with rising unemployment, hunger and child mortality. The Great Depression had started and the majority of people were living in the midst of poverty due to this economic crash. Many families, most of which were immigrants, were put out of work or had to send their children into factories to work long hours just to put food on the table. These poverty stricken families mostly lived in one roomed apartments, sometimes cramming more then nine people into these cramped living quarters.

During the Great Depression, on December 10, 1937, California was dealt an especially hard blow. One of the main rivers in California, the North Yuba river flooded one of the towns along the banks. What little these people had was swiped away. Food. Homes. Everything. The whole town was left in a wrecked wasteland trying to piece together whatever they could in their washed away, penniless lives.

A huge drought hit the middle-western states and refugees from the 'dust bowl' flooded into California causing overpopulation in already densely populated area.

Overall the entire United States was affected by the Great Depression, but, California was affected by flooding, indirectly by drought and by the usual poverty.

Sources:
http://www.kentuckymine.org/sierran/Sierran%20Winter%202008.pdf
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist8/ok.html