In From the Dust They Came: Government Camps and the Religion of Reform in New Deal California, Jonathan H. Ebel recounts the struggle of thousands of disinherited farmers from the Southern Plains traveling to California in search of a fresh start in life, free from severe weather conditions, financial insolvency, and eviction. Leaving behind the scorched earth of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, these hardened migrants were attracted to the opportunities offered by the Resettlement Administration and the Farm Security Administration, two New Deal agencies that established camps and other facilities that catered to the needs of suffering agricultural laborers. Very early after they arrived in the camps, it became apparent to administrators that migrants had few choices in life, and in their despair, they frequently turned to religion for solace. Based on these observations, camp supervisors introduced religious language, practices, and rituals that appealed to the religious sensibilities of camp residents and became essential components in the maintenance of healthy environments. Ebel demonstrates that religion played a significant role in the lives of migrant farmers in California.
The officials framed their approach to the care of distraught farmers as “mission work,” following a steadfast stream of European missionaries to North America who sought to transform Native Americans through proper dress, grooming, education, and work habits. (130-131). Religion, it was believed, would strengthen these habits. To this end, officials made religion a purposeful component in the lives of migrants. (237-238). For example, entering the camp gate symbolized the beginning of new life. The ritualistic burning of the privies celebrated an end to older, impure ways of waste management: clean bodies, migrants were reminded, were associated with purity, all of which ultimately aided in the achievement of salvation. In addition, camp activities and goals were couched in religious language that provided psychological comfort and hope to newcomers. As participation in religious activities was voluntary, migrants integrated more comfortably in activities like baseball and theater performances. For many, these activities propelled migrants closer “to the great day of the Lord” (232). Camp celebrations were accompanied by speeches, prayers, and hymn singing that encouraged cohesiveness with the camp’s more secular goals.
Protestant denominations dominated the California camps, although smaller numbers of Catholics and non-Christians were represented, as well. Within Protestantism, the overwhelming majority tended to be Pentecostal Holiness and evangelical. Yet, Baptist, Methodist, non-denominational Christians, and reform-minded, mainline Protestants were sizable in number. While all were welcomed, camp officials quickly ferreted out those deemed troublemakers or those who urged migrants to shun secular activities and entertainment. For camp officials, these groups posed a threat to the unity and mission of orderly New Deal measures that lead to transformative life. As camp officials reasoned, it came down to choosing between modern Protestantism and “out-of-date religion” (231). Any religious groups or individuals whose behavior was considered boisterous, unmanageable, or a challenge to camp goals, were ousted.
In the first half of the work, Ebel offers a lengthy discussion of New Deal reform initiatives among agricultural workers. Later chapters examine the role of camp religion. Citing earlier studies such as Robert Handy’s article covering the “religious depression” of the 1920s and 1930s (“The American Religious Depression, 1925-1935,” Church History 1960) and Alison Collis Greene’s more recent work on religion and region, (No Depression in Heaven: The New Deal, and the Transformation of Religion in the Delta, Oxford University Press, 2016), there has been minimal follow-up. To be clear, Ebel reminds his readers that religion not only served as a model for orderly behavior and modern, social decorum, but also operated as a tool for social control (4).
The author provides useful bibliographic sources for further research including the papers of some camp supervisors, government archives, university holdings, church archives, and camp newspapers. In addition, there are helpful maps that pinpoint the regional location of California campsites. While rich in sources, however, there is surprisingly little information on, or from, mainline Protestants, Catholics, and minority religious inhabitants. Coverage of these faith groups is scant, suggesting a lack of any kind of collective voice regarding day-to-day religious life, and their influence in the camps. Some commentary from these groups would be useful. Finally, the sensitive topic of religious association with federal government policy is generally omitted.
Nevertheless, Ebel’s work is a well-researched, informative, and comprehensive resource. The volume is part of NYU Press’ North American Religions series and is highly recommended for scholars, upper-division undergraduates, and graduate students conducting research in the fields of American religious history, religion in 20th-century America, religion and reform, and regional religion. From Dust They Came is an excellent resource on a much-neglected topic.
A.J. Scopino, Jr. is an adjunct professor of history at Central Connecticut State University.
A.J. Scopino
Date Of Review:
January 26, 2024