Regions in Transition: The Northern Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest in the Great Depression

Regions in Transition provides an in-depth analysis of the dramatic influence of the Great Depression upon the geography, politics, economics, and demography of the Northern Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. This work suggests that a foundation for the massive Pacific Northwest expansion during and after World War II was established by the late 1930s. In contrast, the Northern Great Plains had a surplus population and infrastructure by 1920. The twin 1930s disasters of economic collapse and the worst drought in recorded history forced hundreds of thousands to leave the plains, many of whom resettled in the Pacific Northwest. Regions in Transition examines how regional similarities in education and values eased this massive migration. Author Rolland Dewing, who participated in the Dust Bowl migration and has lived more than thirty years in each region, brings a unique voice to this history, which references evidence from local histories, on-site visits and interviews, scholarly research, government documents, and local newspapers.