‘The American dream of a land of plenty had turned into a nightmare’. Explain.

From the late 19th century, there was a dramatic increase in wheat production in the USA. Millions of acre of land was brought under wheat cultivation which saw an unprecedented increase in the following years. Much of the Great Plains was used for wheat production.

But the expansion of wheat cultivation in this area created grave problems. Entire landscape was ploughed many times and grass uprooted for cultivation, By the 1930s, endless droughts turned the land barren. Rains failed and temperature was on increase. Terrifying dust storms began to blow over the southern plains. Black blizzards became common, darkening the skies, swept the dust and people were blinded and choked. Cattle were suffocated to death as their lungs got filled with dust and mud. Sand buried everything that came in its way. Even the river surface was choked with dust and the fish died. Dead bodies of birds and animals were scattered all over the landscape. Tractors and machines were clogged with dust, damaged beyond repair.