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how did americans react to the treatment of the bonus army?

by Jarrett Willms Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

Many Americans were suffering from the impact of the Depression and sympathized with the Bonus Army, believing Hoover and the government had done little-to-nothing to try to end the Depression. Unfortunately for Hoover, he was up for reelection and had to campaign throughout that summer and fall.

The American public was largely sympathetic to the Bonus Army. In fact, the BEF's efforts met with some success. After weeks of lobbying, on June 15 the House of Representatives passed a bill for early payment of the bonus. But two days later, the Senate roundly defeated it.Jul 15, 2020

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What was the government's reaction to the Bonus Army Quizlet?

- Answers What was the government's reaction to the Bonus Army? It turned public opinion against President Hoover. They were veterans of World War I, and had been promised a bonus for their service.

Why did many Americans sympathize with the Bonus Army?

Many Americans were suffering from the impact of the Depression and sympathized with the Bonus Army, believing Hoover and the government had done little-to-nothing to try to end the Depression. Unfortunately for Hoover, he was up for reelection and had to campaign throughout that summer and fall.

Why was President Hoover blamed for the Bonus Army?

Hoover received much of the blame for the violence, as he first ordered troops to disperse the marchers, and public opinion was sharply against him. Many Americans were suffering from the impact of the Depression and sympathized with the Bonus Army, believing Hoover and the government had done little-to-nothing to try to end the Depression.

When did the Bonus Army start?

One of the exceptions was the Bonus army in March of 1932. After victory in World War I, the US government promised in 1924 that servicemen would receive a bonus for their service, in 1945. The bonus was also known as the “Tombstone Bonus.”

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How did the US government respond to the Bonus Marchers?

In an increasingly tense situation, the federal government provided money for the protesters' trip home, but 2,000 refused the offer and continued to protest. On July 28, President Herbert Hoover ordered the army to evict them forcibly.

How did the president react to the Bonus Army?

The President quietly ordered the police and National Guard to distribute Army rations, tents, cots and medical supplies to the Bonus Army. Congress had previously rejected proposals for early payment of the bonus, and the President recommended that they again decline any early payments.

How did the government treat the Bonus Army?

Fearing rising disorder, Hoover ordered an army regiment into the city, under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur. The army, complete with infantry, cavalry, and tanks, rolled into Anacostia Flats forcing the Bonus Army to flee. MacArthur then ordered the shanty settlements burned. Many Americans were outraged.

How did the Bonus Army impact the United States?

Bonus Army, gathering of probably 10,000 to 25,000 World War I veterans (estimates vary widely) who, with their wives and children, converged on Washington, D.C., in 1932, demanding immediate bonus payment for wartime services to alleviate the economic hardship of the Great Depression.

How did President Hoover respond to the Bonus Army quizlet?

What was President Hoover's response to the Bonus Army's occupation of Washington, D. C.? President Hoover elected to ignore them, hoping they would go away. They did not. On June 17, 1932, Congress defeated the bill that called for immediate bonus payment some went home, but some stayed.

How did the events surrounding the Bonus Army in 1932 affect peoples attitudes?

How did the events surrounding the Bonus Army in 1932 affect people's attitudes? More Americans wanted MacArthur to be president. More Americans disliked Hoover. More Americans joined the Bonus Army.

What happened to the Bonus Army quizlet?

What happened to the Bonus Army? The Bonus Army was voted down in Congress, Hoover told the veterans to leave as Thousands of veterans and their families came to Washington and set up tents near the capitol building. About 2,000 stayed. Hoover ordered the army to remove them.

Was the Bonus Army successful?

Although the march of the Bonus army was not very successful, the veterans were paid out earlier than what was initially agreed upon. Congress passed the Adjusted Compensation Payment Act in 1936, paying over $2 billion to veterans of WW1.

What did the army use to drive away the bonus veterans?

The bonus veterans were in no mood to leave, so the army began using tear gas and bayonets to drive them away, and employing torches to set fire to the shanty towns. The camp at 3rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue also saw something new in American history: five tanks, armed with machine guns, rumbling about the streets of Washington.

When did veterans get their bonus?

Four years later, in 1936, the veterans did get their bonus, when Congress voted the money over President Franklin Roosevelt’s veto. In 1944, while World War II was still raging, Congress passed the G.I. Bill, to assist veterans in receiving a higher education.

Why did the veterans retreat to Camp Bartlett?

Some veterans retreated to Camp Bartlett, figuring they might be left in peace there, for the government’s orders were to clear federal land, while Camp Bartlett was on private property.

How many papers supported the government's response to the Lincoln administration?

As for the newspapers of that day, the Associated Press released a list briefly describing their editorial reactions. Out of 30 papers, 21 more or less supported the government’s response. The Ohio State Journal, of Columbus, Ohio, for instance, wrote: “President Hoover chose the course that Lincoln chose, that presidents have always chosen.”

When did the troops get the Tombstone bonus?

After victory in World War I, the US government promised in 1924 that servicemen would receive a bonus for their service, in 1945. The bonus was also known as the “Tombstone Bonus.” Then, the Great Depression hit, beginning with the stock market collapse of 1929. By 1932, the Depression was still dragging on, with no end in sight. Out of sheer desperation, some of the veterans decided to march on Washington to ask for the bonus right away.

Where did the veterans march in 1932?

Out of sheer desperation, some of the veterans decided to march on Washington to ask for the bonus right away. If the movement had an official beginning, it would have been in Portland, Oregon. 400 veterans had gathered there by May 17, 1932, under the leadership of a fellow veteran, Walter M. Waters.

Who said the bonus marchers were not veterans?

After it was all over, the authorities involved gave their reactions. President Hoover released a statement on July 28, in which he twice referred to “so-called bonus marchers,” and added, “An examination of a large number of names discloses the fact that a considerable part of those remaining are not veterans; many are Communists and persons with criminal records.”

Who dispersed the bonus army?

Once the bill was defeated, Hoover sent troops and police officers to disperse the Bonus Army. When many veterans remained in the makeshift camps they had built in DC, officers shot and killed two of the veteran protesters. General MacArthur is perhaps even more to blame than Hoover for the continued violence. Twice Hoover ordered MacArthur not to pursue the protesters, yet MacArthur ignored Hoover's directives. Mac Arthur argued that the marchers, most of whom were fleeing or had fled, were attempting to overthrow the government, and he pursued them out of the Capitol, despite Hoover's demands to end the pursuit. During this "military operation" to drive the Bonus Army out of the Capitol, one wife of a veteran suffered a miscarriage and an infant died after being exposed to tear gas.

How did Hoover's treatment of the Bonus Army affect his standing with the public?

Hoover's treatment of the Bonus Army greatly hurt his standing with the public. The Bonus Army gets its name from the Bonus that these World War I vets were promised. They were promised a delayed cash bonus at the end of the war. This delay was alright during the 1920's when times were good, but when these veterans were suffering from poverty in the Depression, they really wanted and needed this money. They began to ask President Hoover to give them their money early. When Hooper refused, they gathered together and about 15,000 of them marched on Washington in 1932. With little or no resources, they were forced to camp out within the city of Washington building their own little Hooverville. President Hoover was not amused and he not only refused to help them, he sent Douglas MacArthur after them with tanks. MacArthur set their camp aflame and forced them from Washington. This picture of Hoover sending the army after down and out former soldiers drew much criticism and greatly increased his reputation as uncaring and unfeeling. It also greatly hurt his reelection bid that year, helping FDR into office.

What was the purpose of the Bonus Expeditionary Forces?

Calling themselves the "Bonus Expeditionary Forces," they demanded early payment of a bonus Congress had promised them for their service in World War I. Army Chief of Staff MacArthur was convinced that the march was a communist conspiracy to undermine the government of the United States, and that "the movement was actually far deeper ...

When was the bonus march?

The Bonus March (May-July, 1932) Few images from the Great Depression are more indelible than the rout of the Bonus Marchers. At the time, the sight of the federal government turning on its own citizens -- veterans, no less -- raised doubts about the fate of the republic. It still has the power to shock decades later.

What did Walters say about the marchers?

Walters, organizing the various encampments along military lines, announced that there would be "no panhandling, no drinking, no radicalism," and that the marchers were simply "going to stay until the veterans' bill is passed.".

What happened in March at Ford's River Rouge plant?

In March, a riot at Ford's River Rouge plant in Michigan left four dead and over fifty wounded. Thus, when a band of jobless veterans, led by a former cannery worker named Walter W. Waters, began arriving in the capital in May, tensions were high. Calling themselves the "Bonus Expeditionary Forces," they demanded early payment ...

Who ordered the Secretary of War to clear the affected area?

President Hoover ordered the Secretary of War to "surround the affected area and clear it without delay.". Conspicuously led by MacArthur, Army troops (including Major George S. Patton, Jr.) formed infantry cordons and began pushing the veterans out, destroying their makeshift camps as they went.

Who sent orders to MacArthur?

Secretary of War Hurley twice sent orders to MacArthur indicating that the President, worried that the government reaction might look overly harsh, did not wish the Army to pursue the Bonus Marchers across the bridge into their main encampment on the other side of the Anacostia River.

Why did Roosevelt oppose the immediate payment of the bonus?

Roosevelt was opposed to the immediate payment of the bonus, because it would benefit one class of citizen at a time when all groups were suffering. After seeing newspaper photographs of the burning Bonus Army camp, however, he told an adviser that “this will elect me” because it would make President Hoover look bad.

Where did the bonus army camp?

Members of the Bonus Army camped out on the lawn of the Capitol during the summer of 1932. Following Waters’ lead, more than 25,000 veterans and their families traveled to Washington, DC, to petition Congress and President Herbert Hoover to award them their bonus immediately.

How many veterans were in the Capitol on June 15?

On June 15, the House of Representatives passed the new bonus bill by a vote of 211 to 176. Two days later, some 8,000 veterans massed in front of the Capitol as the Senate prepared to vote, while another 10,000 assembled before the raised Anacostia drawbridge. The police were anticipating trouble because of the large crowds.

Why did the veterans join forces to campaign for the reelection of Herbert Hoover?

The veterans joined forces to campaign for the reelection of Herbert Hoover because of his law-and-order philosophy. The incident inspired legislation providing more adequately for future veterans who put their lives on hold to answer their country’s call to military duty.

Why did veterans demand more money in 1932?

The most immediate reason for the demand made by war veterans in 1932 was that. they believed they deserved more pay for serving during the war and needed money. union workers then earned more money than American soldiers and Congress believed the soldiers deserved a bonus. the cost of living in America was rising.

When did the first veterans check start?

Roosevelt still opposed the bonus and vetoed it on several occasions, but it finally passed over his veto in 1936. In June of that year, the first veterans began cashing checks that averaged approximately $580 per man.

Who drove the marchers out of Washington?

Using tear gas, tanks, and a troop of saber-wielding cavalry commanded by Major George S. Patton, U.S. Army chief of staff General Douglas MacArthur drove the marchers out of Washington and burned their main camp on the Anacostia Flats.

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