Question

Why did California attempt to prevent those affected by the Dust Bowl from entering the state, going as far as passing the Indigent Act, which would make it illegal to transport a poor person to the state (later found unconstitutional)?
Because of California's longstanding feud with Oklahoma, dating back to the Civil War.


Because the federal government required states to provide income and work to all residents in need.


California was not able to provide enough resources to accommodate the influx of people entering the state.


Oklahoma had plenty of resources to take care of more than enough families.

Answer 1

The correct answer is "California was not able to provide enough resources to accomodate the influx of people entering the state".

During the 1930, around 400 thousand people from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri moved to California looking to settle there. Those states had been suffering massive economic hardships due to a major drought that interrupted the main agricultural activities in the area and left large portions of the population unemployed and at severe risk. The drought also caused serious ecological issues that manifested in dust storms all over the region, which came to be known as the "Dust Bowl".

In the context of the Great Depression, the influx of people migrating to California was simply too much for any state to handle. High unemployment rates, shortage of available work and low wages made any sort of relocation risky at the time. A large portion of families ended up settling in tents or shacks thrown together with scraps as best they could.

To prevent indigents from entering their territory, many states imposed harsh vagrancy laws (such as the Indigent Act) and demanded many years of residence inside the state before being able to apply for public assistance. In fact, until 1941 states kept up the restrictions on interstate mobility.

Hope this helps!