In the 1930’s, discontent was brewing across America. The economic hardships had begun to take their toll and the anger was popping up in various places in the nation. It ultimately ended up resulting in one of the nation’s most discussed events, the Bonus March.
In the 1920’s however, the future seemed to be looking bright. The 1920’s was a time of happiness, goodwill, and general content with how the economic future of the nation was going. For this reason, in 1924, Congress decided to represent this happiness and goodwill within their own policies, by granting the Veterans of World War 1 a check that was redeemable for $1000 in 1945. In hindsight, this did not seem out of place at the time, since the economic collapse did not seem evident. No one at the time predicted the vast destruction that the economic/income inequality would strike the nation with. So, as a result, it seemed as though the checks were a great way to thank the people who served in the war.
However, by the time the depression hit, many of these veterans were out of a job, just like everyone else. They were forced on the streets, hunting for food and money like all of the common folk. As a result, the veterans started pressuring the government to hand over their bonuses a decade in advance. In retrospect, the economic hardships of the Great Depression made it impossible for them to wait that long. It was hard enough to find a job that the veterans felt in danger and felt that they needed cash right this moment. A group of veterans, led by former sergeant Walter Waters, marched down to the capital to pressure the president to give them their checks. They were a group of over 15,000 veterans who traveled their way all the way to the capital by June 1932. They began to be known as the Bonus Army.
However, when they got there, Hoover did not address them. Looking back, his hands were tied in this situation. If he obliged the army, there would be outrage all across America with the fact that they were starving while the veterans essentially pushed around the president. This was only worsened due to the fact that many people already believed President Hoover was not doing anything to stop the Depression. So, conducting action that helps only one group of people would make everyone else feel alienated.
While Hoover did not help, the Congress felt inclined to debate the issue. When the result eventually came out and rejected the demands of the Army, many returned home, but many stayed. Hoover and the government grew uneasy, and they ordered the demonstrators to clear the capital. When they refused, the federal army forced them out with tear gas and guns and killed two of the veterans.
This sparked outrage across the nation as people were angry over how American heroes were treated. Clearly, what was once considered a great PR stunt for the government eventually backfired into destroying the people’s positive perception of the government, and Hoover. The mark on his legacy over this incident still remains today.
Sources:
http://www.american-historama.org/1929-1945-depression-ww2-era/bonus-army.htm
“1929-1936: Stormy Weather”-Class Documentary https://www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/19493118512
Rushil, I really like your post about the Bonus Army! I found it very interesting that you mentioned how Hoover was in a difficult situation. Before reading your post I thought that the soldiers were granted the bonuses before the war, I did not realize it was a nice thing congress decided to do after. I also never thought about how it would be unfair for Hoover to grant the demands of the Bonus Army and not care for the other people suffering from the great depression. I agree that it was a difficult situation for Hoover to manage but I disagree that he should have sent the federal army to shoot and kill two veterans and instead think that more peaceful methods could have been taken. Using the source http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snprelief4.htm, I learned about how they dealt with the bonus army. The source said that they got 6 tanks and the Calvary to drive away the Bonus army. Furthermore, they had fixed bayonets, they killed two babies, and they burned the whole camp down. I believe that this was excessive and made it seem like a war, which is probably why the public was so enraged. Although I agree with your claim that it was a difficult situation for Hover to deal with, I think that using such an excessive display of force was a bad move.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post Rushil! Although it was brought up in class, your article clearly provided context and also more insight on the events leading up to and after the Bonus Army. It was really interesting to read how bending to the pressure of the Army would set a precedent for other Americans, and the rationale behind Hoover's actions. Building off of Owen's point about the seemingly excessive use of force, I think the point of setting a precedent also played a role in this decision.The government needed to show its firm power and authority during this time, or people would have been able to push it around further. But ironically, after destroying the Bonus Army's encampments, Congress eventually caved in and distributed $100,000 to the protesters and sent them home. On that note, how do you think Congress' actions influenced the rest of the Great Depression?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.britannica.com/event/Bonus-Army