After the Civil War, settlers surged into the western two-thirds of Kansas occupying a region which only a few decades previously had been identified as part of the Great American Desert, and therefore too parched for farming. Many of those newly exploiting the virgin soil had learned their farming in a humid climate and were poorly equipped for survival in an arid region. Failure rates were high amongst pioneers who could not withstand the periodic droughts which destroyed not only their crops but also the gardens which were designed to provide vital subsistence foodstuffs. Farms thrived for a few years but then withered in the relentless sun; eventually hard-hit families gave up the struggle and moved on.