163k views
3 votes
Who were the 1932 "bonus marchers"?

a. WWI vets who marched on Washington to lobby for immediate cash payments for their veterans' bonuses
b.farmers who threatened to dump milk and other agricultural products if they did not receive a government bonus for not producing farm surpluses
unionists who marched on Washington when industrialists refused to pay the bonuses stipulated in union contracts
d. federal government workers who objected to losing their Christmas bonus because of the Depression
e. young people who marched in the Civilian Conservation COrps

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The 1932 bonus marchers were World War I veterans who marched on Washington to demand immediate payment of their veterans' bonuses due to economic hardships. The protest known as the Bonus Army ended in confrontations and influenced public opinion against President Hoover.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 1932 bonus marchers were World War I veterans who marched on Washington to lobby for immediate cash payments for their veterans' bonuses. These bonuses were originally scheduled to be paid out in 1945, but due to the economic hardships of the Great Depression, the veterans sought early payment. The protesters, who formed a group known as the Bonus Army, camped out in vacant federal buildings and in makeshift camps at Anacostia Flats near the Capitol building, establishing their own Hoovervilles in the city.

Despite their peaceful protest, their presence in Washington led to confrontations with the government. President Hoover ordered a military response, which ended in violence and further tarnished his reputation, contributing to his defeat in the subsequent presidential election. The Civilian Conservation Corps, which was part of President Roosevelt's New Deal, later provided jobs to many of these veterans, although Roosevelt himself initially did not support the early payment of the bonuses.

User CBuzatu
by
9.2k points