This unit bundles student expectations that relate to the economic development and urbanization of Texas in the early twentieth century. At the beginning of the twentieth century the Texas coast was devastated by a hurricane. Rebuilding after the hurricane brought political and economic changes to Galveston and Texas. It is also during the early decades of the twentieth century that the oil industry in Texas began. While Texas’ economy was affected by the Great Depression during the 1930s the devastating effects were not as bad in Texas. Many Texans did not invest in the stock market and thereby avoided the effects of the crash of the stock market. However, many Texans were affected by the severe drought and devastation that brought about the Dust Bowl, especially Texans living in the Panhandle. The Second World War brought the Great Depression to an end. Many Texans and Texas played a significant role in the Second World War. Texas was home to training bases for women pilots and to internment camps during the war. Texans were part of the war effort and the Second World War contributed to economic growth in Texas during the 1940s and 1950s. An examination of these developments is necessary for understanding what is characteristic of Texas' economic and population patterns today.