Dispossessed Arkansas Farmer in Bakersfield, California, 1935

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, Lange, Dorothea, "Dispossessed Arkansas farmers. Bakersfield, California," 1935

Description

This photograph shows a dispossessed Arkansas farmer who is working on a small shack for his family to live in. These people resettled themselves at the dump outside of Bakersfield, California.

Source-Dependent Questions

• These farmers were dispossessed, which means they had to move from their land in Arkansas due to the circumstances of the Dust Bowl. Using knowledge from this set, why did farmers have to move from their homes?
• Look closely at this photo, what materials are the family using to construct their house? Why would this family elect to relocate to a dump?

Citation Information 

Lange, Dorothea, "Dispossessed Arkansas farmers. Bakersfield, California," 1935. Courtesy of Library of Congress