Bonus Army Arrives in Washington, D.C. – Freedom of Assembly Confrontation Ahead
The Bonus Army was a march on Washington on this day by an estimated 43,000 World War I veterans, their families, and supporters to demand early payment of their World War I veterans bonuses (which by law were already scheduled to be paid in the future).
About 17,000 members of the Bonus Army were actual veterans. The Bonus Army camped out in the southeast part of Washington, D.C. for several weeks, creating a thriving community with kitchens, schools for children and organized entertainment.
Fearful of any sign of political radicalism during the Depression, Military Intelligence spied on the Bonus Army. One informant claimed to have heard “Jewish voices.” In truth, there were some communists among the Bonus Army but the Communist Party was late in trying to organize among its members. Historians have established that the Bonus Army was a spontaneous movement that enjoyed popular support as groups crossed the country on their way to Washington, DC.
After some incidents of violence occurred, President Herbert Hoover ordered the U.S., under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, to evict people from their camp. The forcible eviction of the Bonus Army on July 28, 1932, was one of the greatest violations of freedom of assembly ever by the U.S. government. The episode immediately tarred President Hoover with the image of being heartless and uncaring about people suffering during the Great Depression.
Read: Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen, The Bonus Army: An American Epic (2004)
Watch a documentary on the Bonus Army: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSC1lbfXfRQ
Learn more about the Bonus Army here.
Learn more about marching on Washington: Lucy Barber, Marching on Washington: The Forging of an American Political Tradition (2002)
Read the FBI file on the Bonus March: http://vault.fbi.gov/Bonus%20March