Item 1: Dirt from the Dust Bowl

The dust bowl was a time of drought and dust storms. This was a time before WWI when many people wanted to be farmers. They came and plowed up all of the topsoil and it went into the air. Soon static electricity built up and brought mighty dust storms to Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The storms blew everywhere causing cattle to die, crops to be blown a way, and filled houses with sand. The government tried offering relief and support like canned food and money for certain things. Many farmers refused because they needed the sense that they could support themselves. The drought lasted around a decade.

Item 2: Hidden Alcohol from Prohibition.

This alcohol was hidden during Prohibition. Prohibition was the 18th amendment  that banned the production, and distribution of alcoholic drinks. This was very popular at first because of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the Anti Saloon League (ASL). Drinking was said to slow production lines and increase the amount of crimes committed. Prohibition actually did the opposite of what people said it would do. More people started to drink because they thought it was cool. Speakeasies were created which was a hidden underground bar. People also started smuggling the alcohol and making it themselves. This amendment only lasted around a decade. Due to the need of money in the U.S Prohibition was repealed by the 21st Amendment.

Item 3: Last Money from the Stock Market Crash

This item was the last hundred dollar bill from the stock market crash. The stock market crash was also known as black Tuesday. In October 29th, 1929 when lots of people sold their stocks at the same time. The stock costs went down and lots of money was lost. Banks lost money because they bet that the stock prices would go up. One day the market crashed causing people to take all their money from the banks. Unfortunately, the banks didn’t have enough money for everyone causing a run on the bank. The crash caused desperate people to commit suicide.

Item 4: Wood from FDR’s Wheel Chair

FDR was a president with polio. That means that he could not move his legs so he had a wheel chair made out of a kitchen chair. Even with his disability, he didn’t stop. He was a good president who was well mannered and had a good education. FDR was the  president for 12 years. With a good spirit he had helped the U.S in many ways. One of the ways he did that was by regulating the stock market and making sure banks won’t run out of money. He also made fair wages for employees and supported the needy. All of those things was part of The New Deal.

Item 5: Scissors from a Bobber

A bobber was a big part in the Roaring 20’s. A bobber was someone who bobbed women’s hair. The people who were bobbed were called flappers. The were like “rebels” so to say. They wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, and did lots of other things women usually didn’t do including smoking, drinking, and speaking in what people called “unladylike”. Flappers were the evolution of women in the time of the Roaring 20’s.

Item 6: Flu Mask

This mask was from the WWI flu epidemic. That was a H1 N1 influenza virus that came after WWI. It infected 1/3 and killed 2% of the world population. It came in 1918 from Haskel County, Kansas. This deadly virus had horrible symptoms which included blue feet and lungs filling with fluid. People took many precautions which started at covering your mouth with cloth. Then, it went to gauze masks, and then it evolved into the flu masks we use today. The flu stopped because it preyed on weaker people and so the virus became used to weaker and weaker people.

Item 7: Splattered Paint from the Harlem Renaissance

This item was from the Harlem Renaissance. That was a time when African Americans that had moved to Harlem from the Great Migration and started creating art, books, and music. Many started expressing themselves with their talents. The Great Migration was when African Americans moved from the south to places like Harlem in search of better jobs and equality.  Popular music like Jazz was invented along with all types of other things that expressed their creators. The Harlem Renaissance was the time of creativity. It finally ended when America fell into the Great Depression. African Americans had to focus more on their payments than creativity.

Item 8: Junk from Hooverville

This came from a Hooverville, which was like a village made of junk by the homeless. They were called Hooverville because President Hoover was not doing so well as president. He failed to see all the people suffering in the U.S and didn’t take action. He was then replaced by FDR.