Skip to content

Chapter 9 | Conclusion

Conclusion

Oklahomans faced many challenges during the Great Depression. They experienced crop failures. They lost their jobs. They did not always have enough to eat. Elected officials struggled to find solutions. There were tensions between state and national leaders over how to respond to the Great Depression. Women like Florence Owens Thompson worried about a future where they could not take care of their children. Desperation and fear became all too commonplace. Despite these hardships, or maybe even because of them, the Great Depression in Oklahoma also gave rise to great artistic expression.

Mecca Theatre in Enid
FIG. 9.17

Mecca Theatre in Enid

During the Great Depression, double features were popular and movie tickets on average cost less than 25 cents, making “going to the show” a favorite form of entertainment. Here is the Mecca Theatre in Enid in 1939.

Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.
FIG. 9.17

During the Great Depression, double features were popular and movie tickets on average cost less than 25 cents, making “going to the show” a favorite form of entertainment. Here is the Mecca Theatre in Enid in 1939.

Courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Woody Guthrie’s soulful lyrics provided vivid descriptions of what it felt like to be down and out in Oklahoma. The artistic talents of the Kiowa Six had a lasting impact on the art world, inside and outside Oklahoma. The humor and optimism of Will Rogers helped sustain Oklahomans in one of the most difficult periods in the history of the country. The creativity of Oklahoma artists, singers, and writers was matched by the creativity of everyday Oklahomans who sought ways to adapt and survive.

The US government made many efforts to deal with poverty, hunger, and joblessness during the Great Depression. However, it would not be until America entered World War II that the depression would come to an end. New challenges awaited Oklahomans as they headed into the mid-twentieth century. Yet as we will discuss in the next chapter, Oklahomans embraced the wartime challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.

Short Answer Questions

  1. How were farmers impacted by the steep drop in commodity prices?

  2. Describe two federal programs that the New Deal introduced to combat the Great Depression.

  3. How did the overproduction of wheat and cotton lead to the Dust Bowl?

  4. How did the New Deal affect tribal governments?

  5. Select two state governors from the list below and explain what they achieved during the 1930s as governor. William H. “Alfalfa Bill” Murray, E. W. Marland, Leon Phillips

Short Response Questions

  1. How did the state and federal governments respond to the challenges of the Great Depression? Provide an example for each type of government in your answer.

  2. How did the hardships faced by Oklahomans during this period affect the culture of the state going forward?