Unit 9: The Great Depression in Iowa

How To Use This Page

On this page, you will find a curated collection of videos, resources, guides, and opportunities for exploration that are tied specifically Iowa during the Great Depression. Educators and lifelong learners can use the compelling and supporting questions to guide their learning and focus their exploration on the major topics. The lectures, videos, featured content, and readings can be completed at each learner's own pace and will provide necessary knowledge and background to craft and deliver Iowa History lessons in a K-12 classroom.

Compelling and Supporting Questions

Compelling and supporting questions are designed for each unit and the materials below will provide content and context for teachers, students, and lifelong learners.

Compelling Question

How did the Great Depression change Iowa?

Supporting Questions

1. What was life like for those who endured the Dust Bowl in Iowa?
2. What caused the Great Depression?
3. How did the Great Depression affect Iowa?
4. How did the New Deal programs help Iowans?
5. Who was Herbert Hoover and how did his presidency impact the US?

Overview

The Great Depression brought great difficulties to Iowa and the United States. It arrived after almost a decade of agricultural recession that followed the end of World War One. Iowa suffered for two decades. The Great Depression had many causes, including the collapse of the banking sector, the long farm recession, falling trade, a weakening economy in the late 1920s, and the famous  stock market crash. President Herbert Hoover, the only president from Iowa, failed to deal with the growing crisis successfully. He was defeated for re-election in 1932 and left office with his reputation in tatters. 

The Depression hit Iowa about as hard as any Midwestern state. Iowa’s banking system collapsed, farm prices cratered, foreclosures were widespread, and unemployment very high. Many people lost everything and desperation and misery were everywhere. Men killed themselves so families could get insurance payments. Harsh economic circumstances led to farm protests. During “The Cow War” in 1931 farmers blocked the government from testing their cattle for tuberculosis (TB), fearing their livestock would be killed if they were sick. The National Guard was sent in to enforce testing. In the Farmer’s Holiday Association protests, farmers tried to block roads to halt the sale of farm goods. They hoped this would increase prices. It didn’t increase prices. In desperation, farmers tried to halt foreclosures. At one point they threatened to hang a judge. Martial law was declared and the protests collapsed.

In March 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as president. The new administration began the New Deal, a series of government programs to address the crisis of the depression. A major program was the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) which helped farmers, in part, by paying them not to plant crops, which led to overproduction and low prices. The Civilian Conservation Corps employed men doing conservation and construction. There were 46 CCC camps in Iowa during the 1930s, employing nearly 50,000 men. Other jobs programs provided employment, stabilized the banking sector, or recognized and protected unions. The Rural Electrification Administration provided power to rural families. 

The New Deal poured more than a billion dollars (in 1930s prices) into Iowa, helping to alleviate the misery of the depression.

Think Like a Historian

In this video, historian Megan Birk discusses historical thinking skills like research processes, developing historical arguments, and critiquing conclusions. 

Major Topics of Study

When learning about the Great Pression in Iowa, some of the key areas to cover might include:

• Dust Bowl (causes and effects) → life in Iowa
• Great Depression
  • Depressions had happened before, but this was the worst (and documented proof).
• Hoover in Iowa and as president
• The New Deal

Notable Iowans

Exemplary and significant people in Iowa history from this time period could include many of the below figures. Wherever possible, links to Iowa's digital biography provide opportunities for further exploration.

Historic Sites

Iowa is full of valuable historic sites. The below sites provide opportunities to explore the value of place-based learning and the importance of storytelling through historic sites.

• CCC camps
• American Gothic (1930) → Teachers’ Guide
• Simpson College, Wallace Science Hall, Historical Marker (Carver and Wallace)

State Historical Society Objects, Documents, and Photos

Objects, documents, and photographs from the State Historical Society of Iowa are excellent catalysts for further inquiry in the classroom or for independent lifelong learners. 

Video Resources

If you are looking for longer, more detailed discussions or lectures related to the themes discussed in this unit, the following resources provide further context and information.

Further Reading

This curated collection of readings allow teachers, students, and lifelong learners to explored a curated collection of primary sources, articles, books, and essays that supplement and provide depth to the topics covered in this unit.