How the Boll Weevil and Drought Led to Hard Times in Georgia
How the Boll Weevil and Drought Led to Hard Times in Georgia
Before the Great Depression hit the U.S., Georgia faced its own economic disaster thanks to a drought and tiny but destructive bug: the boll weevil.
Learn how the boll weevil wiped out half of Georgia’s cotton production, how a major drought made things even worse, and how these challenges forced Georgia to rethink its farming and economy.
Social Studies
Explain economic factors that resulted in the Great Depression. (e.g., boll weevil and drought).
1. Why would the invention of the cotton gin, a machine that's supposed to make work easier, lead to a massive increase in slavery?
2. During the 19th century, cotton production was referred to as "King Cotton." What do you think was meant by that phrase, and how did the boll weevil change that?
3. Cotton remains an important part of Georgia's economy, but how has the state's economy evolved and changed since 1915?
4. How did the boll weevil crisis directly influence significant population shifts and social changes within Georgia?
5. What does this historical experience teach us about economic resilience and the dangers of monoculture when confronted with external threats, such as pests or natural disasters?
