The Bonus Army Flashcards
Who was paid at once? What about everyone else?
Those who are owed $50 were paid at once. However the money to pay everyone else went into a fund to pay out in 1945
What did ex-soldiers do in May 1932 and why ?
Many people here and you are bonus in 1945 the hit by the depression in some way. Therefore in May 1930 to about 15,000 ex-soldiers marched to Washington to ask to be paid their bonuses at once because they need them
Where did this “bonus Army “set up a Hooverville?
Across the river from Capitol Hill, where the federal government buildings were
How did hoover initially react to the bonus Army?
He said the government could not pay the bonuses in 1932
What did Hoover then offer the bonus army?
He offered them loans to go home and about 5000 accepted
What happened with the members of the bonus army who did not accept the loan?
They stayed and continued to demonstrate, they received a lot of sympathy. The government was afraid of violence. On the 28th July they told the police to clear the bonus army out of their Hoovervilles. The bonus army refused to go so Hoover sent the army to clear them out. Fighting broke out and 4 bonus marchers were killed, over 1000 wet injured
What did hoover tell the press regarding the bonus Army?
He told them that 5000 bonus marchers had taken the loans and gone home. He insisted that those who remained had been investigated and were found to be communists or criminals, not war veterans. Not everyone was convinced by this story
What did the US government give ex-soldiers, and when?
In 1924 the US government gave those who had fought in World War I a bonus calculated on how long they had been in the army
