Automobile Industry 1930s (Chapter 7, D)

      The Great Depression had ruined the automobile industry. Workers for the three big automobile companies at the time--GM, Ford, & Chrysler-- were laid off and had lost their job security and stability in the process. The auto industry's response to the Great Depression was to lay off workers, make wage cuts, and increase the speed of production. At the start of the Depression, car companies were mostly small and specialized. By the end of the decade, they had transformed into large and strong corporations.
       In the 1930s, cars were the nation's symbol of leisure, convenience, & security. Middle class & farming families were reluctant to give up driving, even in the worst years of the Depression. But when the Dust Bowl occurred in the Midwest region of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, & Texas, many farmers in that area wanted to stay and care for their land. Many of them did not buy automobiles & move to California. Only 16,000 of the 1.2 million migrants to California were from the areas where the Dust Bowl had occurred. Many also only moved to neighboring states instead of places far away from their homes. Automobiles were too expensive. 

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3468301097.html

 http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-dust-bowl

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