Aerial Photograph of Bonus Army, Camp Marks, Washington, DC
6/27/1932
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This photograph shows a "Bonus Army" encampment on the Anacostia flats in Washington, DC, in 1932. The group, made up of thousands of World War I veterans calling themselves the Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF), came to Washington to demonstrate for immediate payment of a bonus promised to them by the Government eight years earlier. After Congress failed to pass legislation allowing the payout, the Government ordered protesters home. Police tried to clear the marchers but were unsuccessful. The military took over under the command of Douglas MacArthur. Violence ensued, with the military using gas grenades and burning down shanties lining the streets.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Army Air Forces.
National Archives Identifier: 68152729
Full Citation: Photograph 18-AA-146-36; Aerial Photograph of Bonus Army, Camp Marks, Washington, DC; 6/27/1932; Washington D.C.; "Airscapes" of American and Foreign Areas, 1917 - 1964; Records of the Army Air Forces, Record Group 18; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/closer-aerial-photograph-of-bonus-army-camp-marks-washington-dc, September 15, 2024]Activities that use this document
- The Impact of the Great Depression: Photograph Analysis
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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