47/13
The Duttons faced a new set of challenges in the early 20th century, including the rise of western expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression. While America’s Great Depression began in 1929, it had an early start in Montana. The Great Depression began in Montana in 1918, nearly 10 years before the rest of the country. While the rest of America was thriving, Montana was struggling. Between drought and reduced demand for agricultural products, due to the end of the “Great War”; (aka World War I, from 1914 to 1918), many farmers suffered greatly. As a result, Montana farmers would default on their wartime loans, leading to widespread bank failures throughout the state. Between 1921 and 1925, half of Montana’s farmers lost their land. By 1925, 70,000 of Montana’s 82,000 homesteaders left. Also, 200 Montana banks failed. Not only did the drought affect crops, but it was followed by a locust infestation and livestock succumbed to the contagion. Featured in Διαχρονικοί ήρωες: Indiana Jones & Χάρισον Φορντ (2023). Dame Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. Sounds like a winning recipe. And it is. The Duttons are once again struggling to maintain their farming lifestyle in Montana. The patriarch, (Harrison Ford) Jacob Dutton, is fighting pretty much the same battles as John Dutton (Costner) in Yellowstone. Very entertaining. There are two other very interesting arcs in the story. One is Spencer Dutton. A disillusioned World War I veteran. Now a hunter in Africa. Spencer meets an English girl he liked. Suddenly those two found out that they had to travel from Mogadishu in Somalia to Montana. It should be easy… The second arc is told from a school where Catholic priests and nuns abuse Native American girls. That part was very unpleasant to watch. There was a bit of revenge there which made it somewhat watchable… I usually rate TV shows after 1 season. Not this time. I didn’t like the last episode. Explaining why would mean spoiling it. But I’m going to watch the second season. I have to…
