Final answer:
The Bonus Army, which was comprised of World War I veterans, established camps in Anacostia Flats, near the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., to demand early payment of their bonuses in 1932, leading to confrontations with the government.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the members of the Bonus Army arrived in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1932, they established camps in vacant federal buildings and predominantly in Anacostia Flats, near the Capitol building.
These encampments became known as Hoovervilles, which were shantytowns named ironically after President Hoover, whom many held responsible for the economic crisis of the time. The Bonus Army, consisting of over 15,000 World War I veterans and their families, was there to demand the early payment of their enlistment bonuses, which the government had scheduled to pay out in 1945.
Their prolonged presence and protest did not persuade the government to act on their plea, leading to tragic confrontations. President Hoover's eventual order to forcibly remove the veterans resulted in violence and chaos, culminating in the shantytowns being burned and many veterans being injured.