The Bonus Army
The Bonus Expeditionary Force, commonly known as the Bonus Army, was a group of World War I veterans who marched to Washington, D.C., in the summer of 1932 to demand early payment of a bonus Congress had promised them. The march and the ensuing confrontation between the veterans and the government became a symbol of the Great Depression.
The Bonus Army was composed of 17,000 World War I veterans, 2,000 of their wives, and 3,000 children. The veterans had been promised a bonus of $1,000 each in 1945, but they demanded that the bonus be paid immediately. Many of the veterans were unemployed and homeless, and they saw the bonus as a way to get their lives back on track.
The Bonus Army camped out in Anacostia, a largely African American neighborhood in Washington, D.C. The camp quickly became a symbol of the hardship and desperation of the Great Depression.
The Veterans Administration, which was responsible for the bonus payments, was overwhelmed by the size of the Bonus Army and was unable to meet their demands. In July, 1932, Congress appropriated $2.4 million to pay the bonuses, but President Herbert Hoover vetoed the bill.
The Bonus Army became increasingly frustrated as the summer went on, and on July 28, 1932, they marched on the Capitol building. The police were unable to stop them, and they reached the steps of the Capitol before being dispersed by tear gas.
The following day, Hoover ordered the U.S. Army to clear the Bonus Army camp. The army, led by General Douglas MacArthur, moved in with tanks and bayonets, and the veterans were forced to flee. Many were injured, and two were killed.
The confrontation between the Bonus Army and the government was a low point in Hoover's presidency, and it hurt his chances for re-election in 1932. The Democrats nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt, who ran on a platform of "a New Deal for the American people." Roosevelt won in a landslide, and the Bonus Army was largely forgotten.