(“Bakersfield, California.”) Bakersfield, California is a city in the San Joaquin Valley region near Southern California in Kern county. In “Grapes of Wrath,” Bakersfield and cities around it are described as destinations for people seeking jobs. In the 1930’s, people travelled to Bakersfield and surrounding cities in search for jobs. In the 1850’s, gold was discovered along the Kern River, and inspired many pioneers to move to Bakersfield to find gold. In 1860, Bakersfield was founded by pioneers who built log cabins for them to stay when they weren’t hunting for gold. In 1862, a major flood occurred, and washed away the entire original city. The city was then reestablished by the California Gold Rush movement. Bakersfield officially became a city in California in 1873. By 1880, most of Bakersfield immigrants were employed in the oil industry. Today, in the 21st century, Bakersfield is considered the oil capital of California. By the end of the book, the Joad family ended up in Bakersfield. The population of Bakersfield is about 350,000 people. This means, on average, about 35,000 people are unemployed. The unemployment rate of Bakersfield, California was 8.2% in November, 2016. In 2016, Bakersfield’s highest unemployment rate was 10.4%. In 2016, the unemployment rates in Bakersfield per month has been above the state average in California, which varies from 4.7% to 5.9%, and above the national average, which varies from 4.7% to 5.0%. The unemployment rate of Bakersfield is 3.5% to 5.7% above the state average, and the unemployment rate of Bakersfield is 3.5% to 5.4% above the national average. The difference between the unemployment rate of Bakersfield and the state unemployment rate is large. Similarly, the difference between Bakersfield's unemployment rate and the national unemployment rate is extensive.
(“Great Depression.”)
(“The City of Sallisaw.”) Sallisaw, a small, dusty city in Oklahoma, was the residence of the Joad family in “Grapes of Wrath.” In the story, Sallisaw is described as a place that had just endured a long, deleterious drought, with an ominous rain just appearing. Rain was an uncommon sight in this city, making it a great event to foreshadow the journey that the Joad family would be forced to take in order to survive. In the early 17th century, French explorers and traders traveled through North America. They found Sallisaw, and named it after many French explorers used the Sallisaw Creek to salt bison meat. In the mid 19th century, Sallisaw became one of twenty-two Arkansas River landings between Fort Gibson and Fort Smith. Sallisaw was the home of the Cherokee Nation before the Cherokee were forced to migrate. In the early 20th century, the economy of Sallisaw depended on the price of cotton. The population of Sallisaw is 8,880 people. This means that, on average, 444 people in Sallisaw are unemployed. The unemployment rate of Sallisaw is 6.8% in the month of November, 2016. In 2016, the lowest unemployment rate per month in Sallisaw is 5.7% in April, 2016. The highest unemployment per month in Sallisaw is 6.8% in November, 2016. In 2016, the unemployment rates in Sallisaw per month has been above the Oklahoma state average, which varies from 4.3% to 5.4%, and above the national average, which varies from 4.7% to 5.0%. The unemployment rate of Sallisaw is 0.3% to 2.5% above the state average, and 1.4% to 2.5% above the national average. There’s a slight difference between Sallisaws’ unemployment rate and the state unemployment rate. Also, the difference between Sallisaws’ unemployment rate and the national unemployment rate is small. Although Sallisaw has an unemployment rate slightly above the state and national averages, compared to Bakersfield, Sallisaw has a much greater rate.