The Bonus ArmyBig Idea: How would you feel at this point

in the 30s as a citizen? As a WW1 Vet?

The Depression Deepens

• Hoover made great strides in repairing the damage, however his efforts were too little too late

• People blamed the president for not acting significantly, quickly enough

His job(a.k.a. AMERICA)

The President is sleeping on

the job

Hoovervilles: shacks where the homeless lived

Hoover blankets: newspapers used by the homeless to keep warm when they slept outside

Hoover Leather: cardboard patches used to cover holes in shoes

Hoover Stew: thin, watery soup that the homeless

received in soup kitchens

The Bonus Army• While most people waited for the gov’t to step in, others

took action• After WW1, Congress voted to give vets a bonus:

additional sum of money to be paid in 1945• That was still a long ways away, many vets felt they’d be

dead by then

1932 – 20,000 jobless vets

marched to D.C. to demand the bonus NOW

The Bonus Army: 20,000 veterans who had marched to D.C. to receive their WW1 bonuses

13 years early & had camped in a tent city along the Potomac River

46,000 people marched in total – about ½ were WW1 vets… what does this tell you about how the country as a whole feels?

HOR voted to give the vets the bonus immediately, but the Senate rejected the bill– Senators thought the cost would prevent gov’t action

to aid the country’s recovery– But they weren’t doing that anyway!

- Police tried to force the vets to leave- Vets protested that they would stay until 1945 if necessary – after all, they were living on the streets back in their home towns anyway

- Cavalry troops, tanks, machine guns & tear gas were used to force vets out- The camp was burned to the ground

The Stats: July 28, 1932BONUS ARMY U.S. ARMY (White House)

- Walter Waters (former sgt.)- Other veterans- Families, citizens, immigrants

- 20,000 veterans of WW1- 26,000 others

- Hoover, - G. Doug MacArthur, - G. George Patton

- 500 infantry- 500 cavalry- 6 Renault FT tanks- 800 police

The president lost what little support he had left

America was shocked & knew it was time for a new leader

“What a pitiful spectacle is that of the great American government, mightiest in the world, chasing unarmed men, women & children

with tanks…if the army must be called out to make war on unarmed citizens, this is no longer America” –Washington News ‘46

So… Did They Ever Get Their Bonuses?• A 2nd mini Bonus March

happened 1 year later when FDR started

• It fizzled out quickly when FDR offered jobs to the vets through his work programs (we’ll talk about those tomorrow)

• Most vets took the jobs, those who chose not to went home

• In 1936 Congress fought to pay the vets their bonuses

• They were all given their bonus 9 years early

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was a governor of NY (from Albany)

• He hated how Hoover responded to the Bonus Army & knew that the American people were simply caught in something they didn’t understand

• He decides to run as the Democratic president of a “new America” & believed that gov’t should take an active role in the economy

It doesn’t matter HOW we got to this point… it does matter how we move forward from

here…

FDR

• Came from a wealthy, influential family• Went to Harvard & Columbia Law School• Married a distant cousin – Anna Eleanor Roosevelt– Believed the wealthy had a responsibility to help the poor

• During WW1, served as assistant secretary of the navy• 1920 – Democratic candidate for VP but lost in the Harding landslide• 1932 he beat out Hoover, easily

Devastating Disease• 1921 – stricken with polio: a disease caused by a virus• His legs were paralyzed

FDR Memorial in Wash. DC

A Call to Action• “I pledge myself to a

new deal for the American people”

• Promised to help the jobless, farmers & elderly

• He won many seats in Congress

“This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive & will prosper. So first of all, let me assert my firm belief that

the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed

efforts to convert retreat into advance”

BRAIN BREAK: WHAT’S IN THE BAG???

So… for 2 DDs• How did U.S. citizens feel about how Hoover

was doing his job as the 30s rolled in?• Who did the Bonus Army consist of & why

did they march?• What was FDR’s reaction to how Hoover was

handling the Bonus Army?• What did FDR pledge to the U.S. people?

http://www.aschool.us/random/random-name.php

RACHAEL CDYLANCONSUELAWILLRILEYCALLIEMHJOHNMADELEINSARAHJENNAALINICOLERYANPATASHLEHMANKATANSHULSEGSJULESCAMILLEBBLATRAVHANNAHRACHEL Z

SAM BJIMMYLOURDESCOLINTIMMYCHRISBATMANTOM HJENNICATYVINISSAAARONJACKBANEGIGIJUSTINANDREWMIKEMAGGIEJEREMYEMILYTOM U

NOW…Make FDR Proud!• Find a quote that inspires you OR create your own!• Make is something people would want to LIVE BY!!!• THINK: song, book, poem, paper, role-model, etc…• Use the blue sheet to get the gears turning!– No, you can’t use any of those

“WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT

RESPONSIBILITY”

Finish early?... Comb through your notes so far for this unit & highlight or circle ALL significant terms, people, events, etc… THIS will

prepare you for tomorrow’s rap battle!