Question

question 20 of 20

which statement best describes why migration increased in the united states during the great depression?

a. people were able to find cheaper housing prices in cities on the west coast.
b. people lost their homes and jobs and moved to new places in hopes of finding employment.
c. people lost their homes and jobs and moved to new places to avoid paying their debts.
d. people were forced to leave their homes as punishment for going into debt.

Explanation:

Analyze the economic context of the Great Depression

Using the Great Depression Economics and Great Depression Unemployment knowledge points
During the 1930s, the United States experienced severe economic collapse, leading to unprecedented levels of unemployment, widespread bank failures, and farm foreclosures. Millions of Americans lost their livelihoods, homes, and savings, which disrupted stable communities and forced families to seek survival elsewhere.

Evaluate the primary drivers of migration

Using the Okie Migration Barriers knowledge point
The massive displacement of people—such as the "Okies" fleeing the Dust Bowl and agricultural ruin in the Great Plains—was driven by the loss of farms, homes, and local jobs. Families migrated westward to states like California or to other regions not out of a desire to avoid debts or as a legal punishment, but out of desperation to find any available agricultural or industrial work to survive.

Assess the given multiple-choice options

• Option A is incorrect because housing on the West Coast was not notably cheap, and finding cheap housing was not the primary driver of this mass migration.
• Option B accurately captures the core push-and-pull factors: the loss of homes/jobs (push) and the search for new employment opportunities elsewhere (pull).
• Option C is incorrect because families did not migrate primarily to evade debt collectors.
• Option D is incorrect because leaving home was not a state-mandated legal punishment for debt.

Answer:

• (A) People were able to find cheaper housing prices in cities on the West Coast.
• (B) People lost their homes and jobs and moved to new places in hopes of finding employment. (Correct answer)
• (C) People lost their homes and jobs and moved to new places to avoid paying their debts.
• (D) People were forced to leave their homes as punishment for going into debt.