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World War 1
World War 1 contributed to the economic instability that led to the Great Depression by creating massive government debt and destabilizing the global financial system. Trades and investments were disrupted, and farmers' crops fell in value after the war, creating more economic hardships for American citizens. This would have caused people like George and Lennie to need to look for more or new jobs after the war. -
1920s Reccession
Lasting about 18 months, from January 1920-July 1921, the 'Forgotten Depression' caused the start of financial issues for American citizens in the post-war recovery. This caused a significant drop in industrial production, with the Federal Reserve's index falling by 31.6%. Unemployment rates rose, with estimates of 2-6 million Americans left jobless, including people like George and Lennie, who would have also lost the little money they had. -
Stock Market Crash
During the 1920s, many people invested their savings in stocks and borrowed money from the bank to buy bonds. With people buying on a margin, stock prices grew to unsustainable levels, setting up for a fall in worth eventually. George and Lennie would be some of the thousands who lost jobs.
Click here to watch an interview of Margaret (born in 1917) talking about bank closings, struggles in farming communities. -
'7 Year Drought' Begins
From over-farming during the war, to the lack of rain, the country was so dry that farming wasn't profitable. This sent people from the Midwest to California to become migrant workers. For George and Lennie, fewer farms would hire workers, due to lack of money and lack of farmable land, making job opportunities scarce as more workers move in. -
Dust Bowl Begins
The Dust Bowl was a period of time where there were frequent and harmful dust storms, caused by the improper farming practices and drought. Migrant workers like George and Lennie found themselves traveling from place to place to get work. -
George and Lennie are driven out of Weed.
George and Lennie used to work in Weed, but they had to leave after Lennie was accused of raping a lady. They left the town and lost the money they had been working for. The book started with the two heading to work at the new Ranch. -
George and Lennie are hired at the new Ranch.
George and Lennie arrive at the new Ranch. They are brought to their bunkhouse and meet the boss, Slim, and Curley. They get their jobs and also meet Curley and his wife. -
Curley's fight with Lennie.
Curley gets mad at Lennie because he thinks that Lennie was laughing at him, when in reality, he was just happy about the dream that they had just told Candy about. In the fight, Lennie just allows himself to get beat up, and asks George to help him. Finally, he grabs Curley's hand and crushes it. Lennie feels bad because he didn't mean to hurt anyone, and he is scared that he won't be able to take care of the rabbits anymore. -
Lennie kills Curley's wife.
Curley's wife comes to talk to Lennie while he was in the barn petting his puppy. She lets him touch her hair, but because he likes soft things, he didn't let go. Lennie ends up accidentally breaking her neck and killing her. He remembers that George told him to go to the bushes and hide if he was ever in trouble, so that's where he goes. -
Lennie dies.
After Curley's wife is found dead, Curley wants to lynch Lennie. George decides that it would be better and more humane for Lennie if George was the one to shoot him. He finds Lennie and tells him the dream so that he could be happy and calmed before he dies. He kills Lennie so that he wouldn't be hurt and hung by Curley. -
Candy's dog dies
Candy's dog was old and in pain, and Carlson kept bugging Candy until he agreed to kill it. Carlson was the one that shot the dog, and later Candy is upset that he didn't do it himself. Candy felt that it was his responsibility to take care of his dog after he had cared for it since it was a puppy. -
First Federal Labor Camp Established
The first federal labor camp was the Arvin Federal Government Camp, built in 1935 near Weedpatch, California, under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) as part of the New Deal migrant labor program. It was designed to provide better living conditions for migrant workers like George and Lennie, or those fleeing the Dust Bowl. -
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World War 2
World War 2 meant that the amount of labor that was needed increased to keep producing food and weapons, drawing more people into the US to work. -
Bracero Program
The war effort needed more people to work, leading to the Bracero Program and increased migration from Mexico. This program aimed at addressing labor shortages, but it led to some workers facing discrimination and exploitation. Workers like Lennie would have been especially targeted because of his disabilities, making it hard for him to keep a job and stay safe.
Interview of a migrant worker