The Bonus Army: Cause Of The Great Depression

1159 Words5 Pages
The Bonus Army was a group of World War One Veterans that wanted their Bonus earlier due to the poverty caused by the Great Depression. Many were homeless, jobless, and even hungry and out on the streets. The desperate veterans then all united to march to Washington and fight for what they were promised. Many Veterans all over the world joined together in this significant march so that they could get what they were promised. The Bonus March was a big event that occurred in the summer of 1932 and was done by the Bonus Army. 1 In 1932, the year started out rough because of the Great Depression. Many Veterans had just returned from the war, and 12,000 men were jobless. 2 The anger, poverty, and lack of shelter stirred up the people to protest…show more content…
Walter Waters was the priest that led the veterans on their march to the nation's capital. 5 When they got to the capital, they built a Shanty Town across the Potomac River that was in Anacostia Flats. 6 The veterans had a purpose and it was to persuade Congress so that they would vote for an early payment of the bonuses. Later on, on June 15, they passed the Patman Veterans bill but it was defeated on June 17. A month later, on July 28, many marchers went to Glass ford’s police and started to throw bricks at them.7 On that same day the Washington officials were ordered to remove the marchers and clear their camps. Many fled home because they were scared to get caught or sent to jail. Not everyone went home, there were several people who stayed to fight for what they wanted. The Washington official got very anxious and one official torched a tent and it ignited the whole camp on fire. The scene then turned violent and anger arose from the veterans. Many were injured and dead. This event angered Americans because of the harsh treatment brought upon the Bonus Army. It was a peaceful and civilized protest that was never intended to get violent. The officials got too anxious that they torched the tent and made it into a catastrophe. Four years later, they finally got their bonuses. What happened made them think about the situation and then they started planned something so that it…show more content…
The whole made Roosevelt win his election. He beat Hoover by 7,000 votes and the electoral votes were 472-59. Roosevelt said "Well, this will elect me."9 Sure enough he was right. He won by a very big percentage all because of the Bonus Army and their significant march. The Democrats now commanded for the most part in the houses. Another outcome was the GI bill. It was passed in 1944 by the Congress so that the same situation wouldn't occur in future occasions. 10 The bill change the whole United States and the way they handled situation. It affected the whole structure of America. It granted many benefits for the World War II veterans. One of the benefits included education and also economic structure if they were in need. This provided a whole structure of support so that they wouldn't get furious and join against the houses. Congress really did provide a solution to help the veterans out. It was very late, but they were able to fix it before it occurred again.
Show More
Related

  • President Hoover's Contribution To The Great Depression

    765 Words  | 4 Pages

    of the Great Depression is one of most hardest time in America history. The Great Depression happen due to the crash of the stock market in 1929, that ruin the US economy. The Depression devastated many Americans during the period, leaving people homeless. The current President Hoover, lack of involvement also contribute to the fall of America. Many people have to face/dealt the problem of no money and the lack of food for a decade until the Great Depression to end. One of the major causes of the

    Read More

  • How Did The Great Depression Affect America

    1151 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Great Depression had very devastating effects throughout America. It hurt people of all classes and races. The government attempted to help as much as possible, with actions like the New Deal. Immediate relief was needed, as the whole country’s economy was plummeting rapidly. Herbert Hoover took office and was soon overwhelmed by the sudden crisis. Franklin D. Roosevelt took office after Hoover’s first term, hoping that his plan will help America’s economic issues. Although economic relief

    Read More

More about The Bonus Army: Cause Of The Great Depression

Open Document