1936 was a year of sharp contrasts. Elevating political and cultural events were a counterpoint to crushing economic and ecological challenges. Voters swept President Franklin D. Roosevelt into his second term with a landslide victory in 46 states. In a prelude to WW II, an uprising by Spanish troops led to a civil war that inspired 2,800 American volunteers to form the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. They traveled secretly to Spain and joined what became an unsuccessful battle against fascism.

An army of workers completed the monumental Hoover Dam; Billboard magazine published its first musical hit parade; and track star Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics. New Deal projects employed millions and eased unemployment, but it remained near 15%. Tragically, thousands of drought-ravaged farms were battered by dust storms and extreme weather. Many could not endure the frigid winter months followed by the sizzling summer heat wave of 1936. Scenes like this were common across the Great Plains.