The Supreme Court Struck Down a New Deal Farm Rescue
The 1934 Frazier-Lemke Act sought to protect indebted farmers, including many in the Great Plains, from foreclosure during the Depression. In 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down as…
The California Anti-Okie Law and the Constitutional Right to Travel
In 1937, California enacted a law making it a misdemeanor to bring indigent persons into the state, targeting Dust Bowl refugees. This sparked a constitutional crisis over state sovereignty and…
The 1933 Washington State Realignment: A New Deal Transformation
In 1933, Washington State underwent a massive political realignment as the Great Depression swept a populist Democratic majority into the legislature. This shift ended decades of Republican dominance and introduced…
The Border Blockade: Governor Johnson’s Executive Overreach in the Rockies
In 1936, Colorado Governor Edwin C. Johnson declared martial law to prevent impoverished migrants from entering the state during the Great Depression. This executive action in the United States highlighted…
The Prairie Shift: South Dakota’s New Deal Realignment of 1934
In 1934, South Dakota experienced a historic political realignment as New Deal Democrats seized control of the state legislature. This shift in the United States Great Plains region allowed Governor…