Bonus Army Shacks Burning in Washington, DC
1932
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This photograph shows dwellings built by the Bonus Army being burned down. The Capitol Building is in the background. The original caption reads: "Shacks, put up by the Bonus Army on the Anacostia flats, Washington, DC, burning after the battle with the military."
In 1932, during the Great Depression, tens of thousands of impoverished World War I veterans traveled to Washington, DC. They called themselves the Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF). The public called them the Bonus Army. They came to the nation’s capital to demonstrate for immediate payment of their military bonus certificates that weren’t redeemable until 1945.
The payment of the bonus was not approved by Congress. With that, many believed the marchers should admit defeat and return home. But the marchers vowed to remain. Police tried to clear the marchers but were unsuccessful. The military took over under the command of Douglas MacArthur. They marched into occupied buildings and encampments, lobbing gas grenades and burning down shanties lining the streets.
President Hoover sent an envoy commanding MacArthur not to pursue the fleeing protesters over the bridge to their settlements in Anacostia, but MacArthur ignored the directive. Hoover, in the midst of a reelection campaign, tried to explain the use of military force against the veterans as necessary to prevent "further bloodshed among the bonus marchers and the police, and possibly innocent bystanders." But the government’s use of the military to attack its own veterans shook the nation.
In 1936, Congress finally passed a bill giving the veterans their bonus. The Bonus Army had achieved its objective. Unfortunately, the bill was designed with loopholes that allowed state administrators to deny many of its benefits to Black veterans. Though the Bonus Army had been integrated and represented Black veterans as well, most Black Americans were barred from the home loans and educational opportunities that helped build a thriving middle class for white America.
In 1932, during the Great Depression, tens of thousands of impoverished World War I veterans traveled to Washington, DC. They called themselves the Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF). The public called them the Bonus Army. They came to the nation’s capital to demonstrate for immediate payment of their military bonus certificates that weren’t redeemable until 1945.
The payment of the bonus was not approved by Congress. With that, many believed the marchers should admit defeat and return home. But the marchers vowed to remain. Police tried to clear the marchers but were unsuccessful. The military took over under the command of Douglas MacArthur. They marched into occupied buildings and encampments, lobbing gas grenades and burning down shanties lining the streets.
President Hoover sent an envoy commanding MacArthur not to pursue the fleeing protesters over the bridge to their settlements in Anacostia, but MacArthur ignored the directive. Hoover, in the midst of a reelection campaign, tried to explain the use of military force against the veterans as necessary to prevent "further bloodshed among the bonus marchers and the police, and possibly innocent bystanders." But the government’s use of the military to attack its own veterans shook the nation.
In 1936, Congress finally passed a bill giving the veterans their bonus. The Bonus Army had achieved its objective. Unfortunately, the bill was designed with loopholes that allowed state administrators to deny many of its benefits to Black veterans. Though the Bonus Army had been integrated and represented Black veterans as well, most Black Americans were barred from the home loans and educational opportunities that helped build a thriving middle class for white America.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer.
National Archives Identifier: 531102
Full Citation: Photograph 111-SC-97532; Shacks, put up by the Bonus Army on the Anacostia flats, Washington, DC, burning after the battle with the military; 1932; Photographs of American Military Activities, ca. 1918 - ca. 1981; Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Record Group 111; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/shacks-bonus-army, September 12, 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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