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Primary Source: This poem "I'd Rather Not Be on Relief" was written by Lester Hunter in 1938 as a depiction of life during the Dust Bowl. A resident of the most-affected prairie states, Hunter was one of an estimated 200,000 migrants who went West to California due to the destitution in affected areas. His words present a migrant response to FDR's "3 R's - Relief, Recovery, and Reform" program as part of the New Deal, and the shortcomings of using short-term solutions for a much longer-term issue. Later, Hunter's lyrics were turned into a song by Dust Bowl migrants working at the Shafter Farm Security Administration (FSA) camp. The first stanza jumps right into the major problems of the Dust Bowl era- severe poverty, enunciated clearly with the mention of rags, lean-tos, tents, "half enough to eat," and "nothing left for rent" after purchasing the little food that was available. Hunter also parallels lives in other parts of the country with the migrant way of living in "rags / While the rest of the world goes neat." He then discusses his disdain for the relief programs and working on the WPA. As a farmer, Hunter preferred to farm as a living, but dictates the challenges of trying to find work among the "swarm of bees" that all arrived to California looking for work and were subsequently treated as second-class citizens. Furthermore, he goes on to contrast the consumerist attitude of the 1920s with the struggles of displaced workers and their need for basic human necessities. Lastly, Hunter discusses the future of those affected by the Dust Bowl, which for him means joining the CIO, a labor union, in an attempt to stay afloat. Overall, the work is a desperate depiction of the plight of those affected, and a call for attention and longterm solutions to the Dust Bowl. Secondary Source: This article is a valuable resource in its analysis of not only the Dust Bowl period, but more importantly, its subsequent effect on nearly every aspect of American life. McLeman, et. al discusses its impact on the current body of scientific knowledge, governmental strategies to intervene in land issues, and our understanding of climate and population movement. Most clearly, the study of the Dust Bowl provides us with a sophisticated command of atmospheric science. Atmospheric measurements and paleo-records have allowed scientists to understand the link between droughts and their effects on the ecosystems both close and far away. Furthermore, they have provided a larger context for the cause and atmospheric situation leading up to the "Dirty Thirties." Additionally, geomorphological examination of the severe dust storms during this period have allowed scientists to understand the largely humancentered causes of soil erosion, such as the transformation of fertile grazing lands into plowed cropland. Most importantly, the historical Dust Bowl period propelled a great deal of change in government involvement in the lives of the American people. The Soil Conservation Service took surveying air photos and created soil maps to identify urgent areas of need, while the Forest Service began a tree-planting campaign to reduce erosion. The WPA worked to build dams and improve and industrialize rural life. The Farm Security Administration also worked to resettle farmers and implement new conservational farming practices. Lastly, the examination of all aspects of the Dust bowl provide us with an understanding of the everdeclining rural population in the US, spurred by this historical time period. This source is particularly useful for my research topic because it explores the intricacies of the Dust Bowl not only during the period but also its lasting effects throughout history, in many different forms.

McLeman, Robert A., Juliette Dupre, Lea Berrang Ford, James Ford, Konrad Gajewski, and Gregory Marchildon. "What We Learned from the Dust Bowl: Lessons in Science, Policy, and Adaptation." Population and Environment 35.4 (2013): 417-40.US National Library of Medicine. Web. 7 Mar. 2016....