Bonus Army March Eviction from Washington, D.C.
Was it Really the 6th Worst Presidential Action by a President in United
States History?
Rick Laue
North Cedar High School
Stanwood, Iowa
Summer 2010
Title: Bonus veterans battle with Washington police officers
Date Created/Published: 1932
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Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-115570 (b&w film copy neg.)
Bookmark this record: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/96500547
This photo is typical of the events that occurred on July 28, 1932. The Bonus Marchers had
been in the city of Washington, D.C. since March of 1932. Most of the veterans built
Hoovervilles throughout the city area. The largest of these was at Anacostia Flats across the
Anacostia River near the center of Washington, D.C. The use of federal troops is the first
time since the Shays’ Rebellion that military troops were used to stop a march of veterans on
the city. The WWI veterans had marched to the Capitol to ask Congress to give an advance
payment on an annuity given to them for their service in the Great War. The payment of up
to $1000 was to be paid in 1945. Due to the beginning of the Great Depression, many
veterans were without work or a home. This was their last hope to convince the Congress
and the President to help them, just as they had helped the country in its time of need.
This lesson will have students examine the events that led to the July 28th confrontation
between the military and civilians. Why didn’t Congress give an advance payment to the
marchers? Why didn’t the police handle the veterans that had taken control of areas and
empty buildings earlier when they first arrived in March? Who gave the orders to remove the
veterans from the city? Why did the military use tanks, tear gas, and bayonets to force the
men, women, and children out of the Hoovervilles around Washington, D.C.? Who is really
responsible for the chain of events that led to the use of military force against the Bonus
March Army and their families? What impact did this incident have on the individuals
(political, civilian, and military) involved with the eviction? Would this incident have an
impact on future veterans in getting help from their government? The most important
question that this lesson will try to answer will be “Does President Hoover deserve to have
his presidential career marred by this incident?”
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview
Objectives
Recommended time frame
Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials
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Students will:
 Use primary source documents to examine the Bonus
March Army’s cause for marching to Washington, D.C.
 Use primary source documents to evaluate who was
responsible for getting the Bonus Army marchers out of
Washington, D.C.
 Use primary sources to analyze the role of the local,
federal, and military leaders involved in handling the
Bonus Army marchers eviction from Washington, D.C.
 Create a position paper on whether or not President
Hoover should be credited with the results of how the
Bonus Army marchers were evicted from Washington,
D.C.
 Read and implement the information from the handouts
to generate a position paper.
2–3 days of class time
10-11-12
American History, American Government, and World History
A) Primary & Secondary Source Definition Handout
B) Documents and Photos
http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/hoove
r_and_the_depression/bonus_march/index.html
Photos: The Bonus Army: An American Epic
http://www.thebonusarmy.com/gallery.html
Photos: The “Bonus Expeditionary Force,” veterans of World
War I marching on Washington
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004668766/
Fire, set by U.S. Army, consuming camp of Bonus
Expeditionary Forces; Washington Monument in background
Photos: Bonus Army by Richard Sanders—The Bonus Army
and the Torching of Hooverville
http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/bonus_army.html
Articles:
“Conflicting Versions of the Battle of Anacostia: Gen. Douglas
MacArthur vs Pres. Herbert Hoover”
“Socioeconomic and Political Context of the Plot”
“Butler at the Bonus Rally”
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Bonus veterans. B.E.F. at the U.S. Capitol
About this image
Theodor Horydczak Collection in the Library of Congress–
Photographer of Washington, D.C.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/horydczak/
kkWashinon Am
American Treasures of the Library of Congress –Memory –
Topic: The Bonus Army March
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm203.html
Webcast: LOC – Title: “The Bonus Army: An American Epic”
– Speakers: Paul Dickson & Thomas Allen. Event Date:
6/22/2005. Running time: 54 minutes
http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=3710
Video: “The March of the Bonus Army” Documentary
Chronicles WWI Vets March on Washington and its Legacy.
PBS special narrated by Gary Sinise
http://www.newvoyage.tv/BA_press.html
Video: YouTube Collection of “Bonus Army March”
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Bonus+Army+
March+March+Of+1932&aq=f
Titles:
“Bonus Army Marches on Washington, D.C. 1932”
“1932 Bonus March”
“Fictional March of the Unemployed during the Great
Depression”
“A History of Veterans Care”
“Abuse of Veterans in Great Depression”
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gocdp6Nis5g)
“Bonus Army–This Day in the USA–July 29”
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQSe3k8p_MA&p=569225
78A81CF92E&playnext=1&index=3)
Series that should be seen by all students:
March of the Bonus Army Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Introduction video:
2:36+
Bonus Marchers – Challenge to the Government by
JOHNFITZAMH2020
C) Group Folders of materials from the Hoover
Presidential Library
Categories include:
1. Letters of Support for Hoover
(Hoover Presidential Subject Files – Box 376)
2. Letters of Nonsupport for Hoover
(Hoover Presidential Subject Files – Box 375)
3. Newspaper Clippings
(Hoover Presidential Subject Files – Box 376)
BEF (Bonus Army Newspaper) printed in
Washington, D.C. from March to July 1932
(BEF News – Box 1)
Documents from local and federal government
officials, including FBI files and military documents.
All of these documents are factors in how the Bonus
Army Marchers were to be handled in the final
removal policy.
(Hoover Presidential Subject Files – Box 375)
http://www.hoover.archives.gov/Research1/BonusMarch
D) Resource Books and Articles
The Bonus Army: An American Epic by Paul Dickson &
Thomas B. Allen
B.E.F.: The Whole Story of the Bonus Army by W.W.
Waters and William C. White
My Father’s Bonus March by Adam Langer
“Battle of Anacostia: the Bonus Army and its unexpected
legacy.” Article from American Scholar by Robert S.
McElvaine (Digital July 14, 2006)
“March of the Bonus Army”: An article from DAV
Magazine (Digital – May 30, 2006)
E) Computer and projectors for presentation of
photos/primary and secondary source documents/
websites
F) Rubric of the final product of student’s position paper
on the responsibility of Hoover for the Bonus Army
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Illinois State University
marchers removal and the approval/disapproval of
Hoover being given the rank of 6th worst presidential
decision made by a President in our United States history
G) Pre- and Post-assessment about the Bonus Army March
events and individuals
H) Rubric used to make assessment of the use of primary
and secondary information in forming a historical
opinion about President Hoover’s ranking and who was
to blame for the end results of the removal of the Bonus
Army marchers from Washington, D.C.
Iowa Core Curriculum Standards
History:
Goal 2: Understand how and why people create, maintain, or
change systems of power, authority, and governance.
2.2 – Explore how government has reacted to problems in the
past, such as social, environmental, political, and/or economic
issues and how the government’s action affected individuals.
Goal 4: Understand the role of individuals and groups within a
society as promoters of change or the status quo.
4.1 – Analyze the actions of individuals and groups in the
development of historical events.
4.2 – Identify significant individuals and groups who have
affected historical development in positive or negative ways.
Goal 5: Understand the effect of economic needs and wants on
individual and group decisions.
5.3 – The learner will analyze the role of economic factors in
conflicts and in decisions to use military force.
5.4 – The learner will explain the ways in which economic
factors have influenced the movements of people.
Goal 8: Understand cause-and-effect relationships and other
historical thinking skills in order to interpret events and issues.
8.1 – Interpret actions taken, analyze impact experienced, and
evaluate decisions made in history in the context in which they
occurred.
8.2 – Determine the validity and accuracy of primary sources
and secondary sources and evaluate for bias.
8.3 – Predict how different decisions might have impacted the
outcome of an event.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Procedures
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Day 1:
Lesson Plan:
The following lesson plan is designed to have students use
primary resource documents to examine a historical event.
In this lesson we are looking at the Bonus Army March of
1932. By using the primary resources that are available in
the Library of Congress and the Hoover Presidential
Library, we can examine the human impact that took place
during this event. Using the primary resources gives you
an up-close and very personal examination of how this
event impacted Hoover and his presidency. It will also
help expose information that our history textbooks have
failed to contain. It will be important to examine the
Bonus Army March leaders and the people who made the
march to Washington, D.C. To be true historians, it is
important to find out all the information possible about an
event and the individuals who are connected to that event.
Primary Sources – These types of artifacts are
resources that have been created by people who actually
are present at the historical event being reviewed, or
they have been directly involved with the event and have
made written or visual records of that event that state or
illustrate their reactions to the event.
Student Objectives – We want the student to do the
following things when working with primary documents:
o
o
o
o
First, examine copies of primary source documents.
Second, decide what the document’s value is to a
historical review of this event.
Third, analyze and evaluate the document for bias or
contradiction.
Fourth, distinguish how a primary and a secondary
source are different.
Secondary Sources – Someone who was not an eyewitness
to the event when it took place creates these types of artifact
resources. These resources tend to be secondhand
interpretations of what happened or a retelling of the event
using other’s oral or written comments about the event being
studied.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Day 2:
Materials that will be used are from the Library of Congress,
Hoover Presidential Library, and other possible Internet sites
used in the lesson.
The various primary source artifacts to be used could be a
diary, letter, map, cartoon, poster, and pictures that all relate to
the historical event being studied.
Have students examine the document and answer the
following questions:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
What type of document is it?
What is the date of the document?
Who created the document?
Why was the document created?
Are there any distinguishing marks or features on the
document (date stamps, someone else’s notes in the
margin...)?
What does the existence of this document say about
whoever created it?
What does this document say about life in America in
this era?
Does the document appear to be an accurate
representation of what was happening?
Why do you believe that?
Do you think that outside events could influence what a
person might write or record about an event?
Do you think that outside events could influence the
way that you are interpreting the document?
What questions are left unanswered by the document?
If you could ask the author of the document a question,
what would you ask?
Have students exchange documents and answer the
questions about their new document.
Day 3:
Additional research will be conducted and the position paper
will be written. We will have class round-table discussions on
the research papers next time we meet. Be prepared to share
what you feel is the final verdict. Is Hoover responsible for the
results of the Bonus Army March removal from Washington,
D.C.? Does he deserve the ranking of making the 6th worst
Presidential decision in our history?
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

Evaluation
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Pretest the students using the article below.
Students will be given the article below about the Bonus Army
March, and they will do this exercise prior to getting started with
the project lesson. They will read the article as if it were actual
fact. You will later tell them that just because it is written in a
historical context does not in fact make it history. They will now
be aware that they must be more critical in their reading and use
actual research of the facts to determine what history really is
about.
This is the Pretest of Assessment of Knowledge
about the Bonus Army March
THE BONUS ARMY OF 1932 –
Do you know the facts?
READ AND FIND THE 14 MISTAKES THAT ARE IN THIS
ARTICLE. MAKE THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS ON
THE BACK.
People tend to suffer when they are forced to move due to reasons
they have no control over, like job layoffs and crop failures. What we
then see is the possibility for extreme movements politically and
socially. The global economic event that began in 1929, known as the
Great World War in Europe, caused much economic chaos in the
United States. This event allowed radical movements of the
Republican Party and Socialist Party to make headway in the United
States during the 1930s. As one of the major industrial powers started
to feel the financial effects caused by the Great Depression, radical
groups like these could have posed a serious challenge to public order
in the United States. We begin to see many instances of labor unrest
and strikes that turned violent. These incidents would cause state
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
governors to call for temporary mobilizations of their state National
Guards. There were also instances where regular Army troops were
called out in aid of the civil power. The worst incident of this type was
the Bonus Army March in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1932.
At the end of World War I, as the American Expeditionary Force
was being demobilized, a grateful U.S. government passed legislation
that would give veterans in “good standing” the payment of cash
bonuses. These bonuses would be adjusted in value according to the
length of service during the war and would be paid to the veterans in
1945. The problem was that the Crash of 1929 wiped out many
veterans’ savings and jobs, forcing them to be homeless. Veterans
across the United States began to organize and petition the federal
government to pay them their cash bonus earlier than 1945. In the
spring of 1932, during the lowest point of World War I, a group of 300
veterans in Portland, Oregon, organized to force the United States
government to pay the veterans earlier than 1945. This group was led
by an ex-sergeant named Walter Disney. They called themselves the
‘Bogus Expeditionary Force’ or ‘Bonus Army’ and began traveling
across the country to Washington, D.C. to lobby personally with the
members of Congress and the President. At the end of May, over
3,000 veterans and their families were making their way to the
Capitol. Once they arrived in Washington, D.C., many of these people
lived in a collection of makeshift huts and tents on the mud flats by the
Anacostia River outside of the city. Similar shantytowns could also be
found sheltering the unemployed and poor outside any large city in the
United States; these communities were called “Hootervilles.” By July,
almost 25,000 people lived in Anacostia, making it the largest
Hooverville in the United States. (This would be similar to the
populations of cities in Iowa like Burlington, Muscatine, Clinton, Iowa
City, Marion, Marshalltown, Mason City, Fort Dodge, Ottumwa, and
more than the entire Cedar County area.)
On June 15, 1932, by a vote of 211 to 176, the Senate passed a
$2.4 billion World War I veterans bonus bill sponsored by Wright
Patman of Texas. Prior to that vote, veterans’ groups had met with
President Hoover in order to get the President to support the proposal
for immediately paying the veterans the congressionally mandated
bonus promised them in 1945. The debate was emotional at times. To
illustrate how passionate some members of the House had become,
during the debate on whether of not to pay the veterans immediately,
Representative Edward Eslick of Tennessee died of a heart attack on
the House floor while delivering an impassioned speech on behalf of
the bill. A day later, when the measure passed the House, hundreds of
veterans jubilantly celebrated in the House Gallery. The Senate
subsequently also supported the Patman Bonus Bill by a wide margin.
There was stiff resistance from Republicans loyal to President
Hoover, as the estimated cost of the bill was over $2 billion and the
Hoover Administration was insistent on having a balanced federal
budget. Hoover told the press that if the bill passed through the
Congress he would veto it. In response, almost 20,000 veterans
slowly shuffled up and down Pennsylvania Avenue for three days in a
protest local newspapers titled the ‘Death March.’
The Bonus marchers were not happy that the bill failed to pass
through Congress, and concern grew that the Bonus Army Marchers
could cause widespread civil disorder and violence. There were
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
scuffles with the police, and unruly crowds of veterans stoned some
Senators’ cars as they left the city for the Congressional summer
break. Retired Marine General Smedley Butler, an immensely popular
figure among veterans, became a vocal supporter of President Hoover,
participated in Bonus Army demonstrations, and gave inflammatory
speeches to the Bonus marchers. It was alleged at the time that the
March was directed by the Republican Party of the USA in pursuit of
a genuine revolution, but it has since been established that the Party’s
only actual involvement was sending a small number of agitators and
speakers. Nevertheless, President Hoover considered the Bonus Army
Marchers a threat to public order and his personal safety. Contrary to
tradition, he did not attend the closing ceremonies for that session of
Congress on July 16, and many members left the Capitol building
through underground tunnels to avoid facing the demonstrators
outside.
After Congress adjourned, many of the marchers left Washington,
D.C., but over 10,000 angry veterans still occupied the “Hootervilles”
in the parks and outside of the city’s limits. On July 28, 1932, two
veterans were shot and killed by panicked policemen in a riot at the
bottom of Capitol Hill. This provided the final stimulus. Hoover told
Ralph Furley, the Secretary of War, to tell General Douglas
MacArthur, then the Army Chief of Staff, that he wished the Bonus
Army Marchers evicted from Washington, D.C. Troops from nearby
Fort Myer and inside of Washington, D.C. were ordered in to remove
the Bonus Army Marchers from the streets without the use of any
force.
One battalion from the 12th Infantry Regiment and two squadrons
of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, which was under the command of Major
George S. Patton, concentrated on removing Bonus marchers from the
area just west of the White House. At 4:00 p.m. the infantrymen
donned gas masks and fixed bayonets, the cavalry drew sabers, and the
whole force with the support of several light tanks advanced down
Pennsylvania Avenue to clear it of the marchers. Against the advice of
his assistant, Major Dwight D. Eisenhower, MacArthur took personal
command of the operation. President Hoover had ordered MacArthur
to clear Pennsylvania Avenue only. MacArthur, however,
immediately began to clear all of downtown Washington, pushing the
Bogus marchers out Washington, D.C. There was confirmed evidence
that MacArthur gave orders to have all the “Hoovervilles” that were
created by the marchers set on fire. The marchers faced the use of tear
gas and many retaliated by throwing bricks at the soldiers who were
trying to move them out of Washington, D.C. No shots were fired
during the entire operation. By 8:00 p.m. the downtown area had been
cleared and the bridges now blocked any entrance across the
Anacostia River, which would lead back to the Hooterville where most
of the Bonus marchers had been living during the demonstrations
against Congress that summer.
That evening Hoover sent duplicate orders via two officers to
MacArthur forbidding him to cross the Anacostia to clear the Bonus
marchers’ camp. MacArthur obeyed the President's orders, saying that
he was ‘too busy’ and could not be bothered by people coming down
and pretending to bring orders. MacArthur crossed the Anacostia at
11:00 p.m., forcing the marchers along with 600 of their wives and
children out of the camp, and burned it to the ground. MacArthur
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
would later call a press conference at midnight, where he praised
Hoover for taking the responsibility for giving the order to clear the
camp. The Chief of Staff told the members of the press, “Had the
President not acted within 24 hours, he would have been faced with a
very grave situation, which would have caused a real battle.... Had he
waited another week, I believe the institutions of our government
would have been threatened.” Ralph Furley, the Secretary of War, was
present at this conference, and he praised MacArthur for his action in
clearing the camp, even though he too was aware that Hoover had
given direct contrary orders. General MacArthur would later
demonstrate the same behavior when he was insubordinate and
changed the orders given him by future President Harry Truman. This
would eventually be the cause for MacArthur being relieved of his
command of forces in Korea in 1951 and his retirement from the
military.
The last of the Bonus Army Marchers left Washington by the end
of the following day. Hoover could not publicly disagree with his
Chief of Staff and Secretary of War and ended up paying the political
cost of this incident. The forceful eviction of the Bonus Army
Marchers and the fact that four people died during the military actions
(the two demonstrators who had been shot by the police and two
infants asphyxiated by tear gas) caused public opinion to be in
Hoover’s favor and would help him win the 1932 election due to his
ability to make tough decisions in tough times.
Eventually some money was paid to veterans but not without
political difficulties. Within a year of the Bonus Army, President
Roosevelt signed into law the Economy Act of 1933, which cut
veterans’ disability allowances by 25%. In Roosevelt’s effort to
reduce the federal budget, veterans were expected to help with getting
the nation out of the Depression, just like all American civilians were
challenged to do in Roosevelt’s “fireside chats.” During the 1932
election campaign, he had publicly proclaimed: “No one [merely]
because he wore a uniform must therefore be placed in a special class
of beneficiaries over and above all other citizens. The fact of wearing
a uniform does not mean that he can demand and receive from his
government a benefit which no other citizen receives.” Due to the
pressure placed on the Congress by veterans’ groups like the
American Legion, benefits would be restored to the veterans.
Congress would override the veto used by Roosevelt in 1936, and
eventually the $2.5 billion would be awarded to veterans of World
War I. This is the same money that President Hoover in his
administration had said must be delayed to be paid to the veterans
back in 1932.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
ANSWERS for the Bonus Army March Post-Test Corrections:
1929 – Great Depression – not Great War
Lowest point of the Depression – not World War I
Bonus Army – not Bogus Army
Walter Waters – not Walter Disney
Hooverville – not Hooterville
Communist Party – not Republican Party
Senate opposed the Patman Bonus Bill—not supported
Smedley supported – not opposed
With force – not without any force
Shots were fired
MacArthur did not obey the direct orders of Hoover
Do Not Cross the Bridge
12) Sec of State Hurley –not Ralph Furley
13) Did not support Hoover – no support Hoover
14) Would contribute to Hoover’s loss in 1932 re-election
– not contribute to his winning the election in 1932
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
Extension
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Follow-up activities:
1. Suggest to students that they have primary source
documents at home (driver’s license, birth certificate,
report card, yearbook, letter, diary, and other types of
documents used on a daily basis). Why are these
documents important, and what can we learn about the
students from these documents?
2. Ask students to bring in a document that they would be
willing to share with the class. Analyze the documents.
3. Examine suggested websites, such as the one associated
with the book The Bonus Army: An American Epic by Paul
Dickson and Thomas B. Allen. The Website Evaluation
form could be used for additional points in the
RESEARCH score.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm203.html
Home - Overview - Treasure Talks - Learn More About It - Object Checklist (Current) - Credits
Exhibition Sections: Top Treasures - Memory - Reason - Imagination
The Bonus Army March
Theodor Horydczak (ca. 1870-1971)
Veterans Bonus March, Washington, July 1932
Gelatin silver photographs (58F.2a,b)
Prints & Photographs Division
Gift of Norma and
Francis Reeves, 1973
Digital ID#s ppmsca-05576, ppmsca-05577
The Bonus Army, some 15,000 to 20,000
World War I veterans from across the country, marched
on the Capitol in June 1932 to request early payment of
cash bonuses due to them in 1945. The Great Depression
had destroyed the economy, leaving many veterans
jobless.
Veteran Army Signal Corps photographer
Theodor Horydczak, of Washington, D.C., photographed
their camp site on the Mall. Six futile weeks of lobbying
Congress raised government fears of riots, and on July
28, cavalry, infantry, tank troops and a mounted machine
gun squadron commanded by General Douglas
MacArthur and Major Dwight Eisenhower dispersed
veterans and their families with bayonets and tear gas.
Public opinion denounced President Herbert Hoover for
the resulting bloodshed and helped force him from
office.
Veterans March to Washington to Arrive at Opening of
Congress, December 5, 1932, to Demand Cash Payment
Bonus.
Rare Book & Special Collections Division (58G.2)
Home - Overview - Treasure Talks - Learn More About It - Object Checklist (Current) - Credits
Exhibition Sections: Top Treasures - Memory - Reason - Imagination
Exhibitions Home Page - Library of Congress Home Page
Library of Congress
Contact Us ( June 24, 2005 )
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Rubric
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Students at the end of this lesson will write a Position Essay – Analyzing the Bonus Army March – “Does
Hoover Deserve His Ranking among the Worst President?” using the resources that were used for this
lesson. Identify the negative and positive ways he impacted the Bonus Army Marchers and the political and
economical situation of that time.
History Research Essay Marking Rubric
____/140 points
Name:_____________________________________
*Students who fail to provide clear and accurate documentation for their essays either will
not have their papers graded or 10–50% will be deducted from the total as this undermines
the entire purpose of doing research.
Essay
Level 4 – Excellent Level 3 - Good
Level 2 Level 1 Evaluation
Satisfactory
Needs
Criteria
Improvement
–arguments/analysis
–arguments/
Persuasiveness, –arguments/analysis –arguments/analysis
are highly
are persuasive and
developing towards
analysis
Effectiveness
persuasive and
effective
being
limited in
of Arguments
effective
–strong sense of
persuasive/effective
being
and Analysis
–very strong sense
purpose
–some sense of
persuasive
___/20
of purpose
purpose
and effective
–little or no
sense of
purpose (if at
all)
–very strong use of
–strong use of facts,
–some use of facts,
–limited (if
Use of Facts,
facts, examples and
examples and
examples and
any) use of
Supporting
historical evidence
historical evidence
facts,
Examples and historical evidence
–consistently relates –often relates the
–sometimes relates
examples and
Evidence
the evidence back to evidence back to
the evidence back to
historical
___/20
proving the thesis
proving the thesis
proving the thesis
evidence
–great sense of
–good sense of
–some sense of
–rarely (if at
historical context
historical context
historical context
all) relates the
evidence back
to proving the
thesis
–limited sense
of historical
context
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Illinois State University
Conventions,
Structure and
Organization
___/20
–demonstrates
thorough
understanding of the
conventions of the
essay
–highly effective
organization of
arguments, ideas and
quotations
Fluency, Unity
and Coherence
___/20
–the writing is very
fluent, coherent and
unified
–very effective use
of transition
words, links or leadins to provide unity
and coherence
Technical
Merit
___/20
–very few (if any)
spelling, grammar,
punctuation or
sentence structure
errors in the essay
Documentation –flawless
documentation and
and Format
format all of the
___/20
following:
quotations, citations,
bibliography and
pagination
–demonstrates
reasonable
understanding of the
conventions of the
essay
–effective
organization of
arguments, ideas and
quotations
–demonstrates some
understanding of the
conventions of the
essay
–some (uneven)
organization of
arguments, ideas and
quotations
–demonstrates
a limited
understanding
of
conventions
of the essay
–limited (if
any)
organization
of arguments,
ideas and
quotations
–the writing is fluent, –the writing is
–the writing is
coherent, and unified somewhat fluent,
limited (if at
–effective use of
coherent and unified
all) in being
transition words,
–somewhat effective fluent,
links or lead-ins to
use of transition
coherent and
provide unity and
words, links or leadunified
coherence
ins to provide unity
–limited (if
and coherence
any) use of
transition
words, links
or lead-ins to
provide unity
and coherence
–some spelling,
–several spelling,
–excessive
grammar, punctuation grammar, punctuation number of
or sentence structure or sentence structure spelling,
errors in the essay
errors in the essay
grammar,
punctuation or
sentence
structure
errors in the
essay
–some errors in
–several errors in
–excessive
documentation and
documentation and
errors in
format in one or more format in one or more documenting
of the following:
of the following:
and
quotations, citations, quotations, citations, formatting in
bibliography and
bibliography and
one or more
pagination
pagination
of the
following:
quotations,
citations,
bibliography
and
pagination
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Research
___/20
–exemplary level of
research in terms of
the number and
variety of resources
used in the essay
–high level of
research in terms of
the number and
variety of resources
used in the essay
–moderate level of
research in terms of
the number and
variety of resources
used in the essay
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
–limited level
of research in
terms of the
number and
variety of
resources
used in the
essay
Evaluating Primary Source Websites – Extension Lesson
Before relying on the information provided by a website, examine and understand the purpose of
the website. While the purpose might not affect the accuracy of the primary source material it
contains, it might indicate that the material has been altered or manipulated in some way to
change or influence its meaning. Sometimes sites use primary source material to persuade the
reader to a particular point of view, distorting the contents in obvious or subtle ways. Also, sites
can use primary source material haphazardly, without appropriately choosing, inspecting, or
citing the work.
In general, look for websites with a nonbiased, balanced approach to presenting sources.
Websites produced by educational or governmental institutions often are more reliable than
personal websites, but government sites may be subject to propaganda.
Who is responsible for the website? Hints from URLs:
Many URLs (Uniform Resource Locator or website address) include the name and
type of organization sponsoring the web page. The 3-letter domain codes and 2letter country codes provide hints on the type of organization. Common domain
codes are:
Domain
Sample Address
.edu = educational
institution
http://docsouth.unc.edu
.gov = US
government site
http://memory.loc.gov
.org = organization
or association
http://www.theaha.org
.com = commercial
site
http://www.historychannel.com
.museum = museum
http://nc.history.museum
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

Who is responsible for the website?

Check for an author. Look for the name of the author or organization responsible
for the page. Look for the following information:



Credentials — who is the author or organization and what sort of
qualifications do they have?
Contact address — is an email or some other contact information given?
"About" link — is there an “about,” “background,” or “philosophy” link
that provides author or organizational information?
Is there a clear purpose or reason for this site?

Websites can be created for a variety of purposes: to disseminate information,
provide access to collections, support teaching, sell products, persuade, etc.
Discovering the purpose can help determine the reliability of the site and the
information it provides. Some pages explicitly state their purpose; others do not.
To find information about the purpose:



Check for an “about” link — these links often provide some information
about the purpose of the site.
Find the home page for the site — sometimes page includes the “about”
link or other clues on the purpose of the organization sponsoring the site.
Look for an agenda — are documents slanted in some way to persuade you?
If the purpose of the website is to persuade, you should examine the
material very closely before accepting it as fact.
What do others say about the website?
Check to see if the website is reviewed:


Look up the website in reputable history subject directories such as
History Matters and the History Guide
See if the site has been reviewed in the Internet Scout Project. Also check
printed reviews.
Find out what other web pages link to the website. How many links are there?
What kinds of sites are they?

Do a link search in Google.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

Is the content clearly explained, organized, and accessible?

Good web design not only makes an electronic resource easier to use, it is also one
indication that the content has been provided, and is being maintained, by a
trustworthy source. Although standards of what constitutes “good web design” vary
widely, clarity, simplicity, and easily understandable navigational cues are some of
the obvious signs. Some considerations are:




Pages that are legible with clear explanations.
Obvious navigational aids that provide access to documents and obvious
links on every web page to the home page.
Individual URLs for each document for ease of linking and citation
information.
Clear instructions about special software requirements.
What is the format of the documents?

An electronic version of a primary source can be either a scanned image of the
original document (a facsimile) or an ASCII text or word processed version,
created by re-keying the content of the document or by using optical character
recognition (OCR) to convert the image of the document into text. Ideally, a
primary source on the web should be made available in both forms when originals
are difficult to read and to provide keyword searching of the text. Facsimiles
reproduce the layout, illustrations and other non-verbal information contained in
the original document, and they allow the researcher to check the accuracy of other
editions or versions of the document. ASCII text versions can be searched, quoted
from easily (by copying into word-processing software) and they provide a back-up
for illegible portions of facsimiles.

Is there a fee for use?
Fee-based sites must be weighed against their value. It is possible that the same
content, or similar content, is available through another electronic source free of
charge. Public, school, and academic libraries may offer free access to fee based
electronic collections of primary resources.
Written in 2003 by the Instruction & Research Services Committee of the
Reference and User Service Association History Section in the American
Library Association.
Committee members
Nancy Godleski , Edward Oetting, Jennifer Schwartz, Joe Toth
David Lincove (chair)
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Handouts
Back to Navigation Bar
Handout #1
http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/hoover_and_the_depression/bonus_march/gro
up_index.cfm?GroupID=15
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
National Archives and Records Administration
Bonus March: 1932
In 1924, Congress issued bonus certificates to veterans who had fought in
World War I. The certificates were worth one thousand dollars and would be
redeemable in 1945. As the Depression deepened many veterans did not
want to wait for their money.
In May 1932, a group of veterans headed to Washington, D.C. to ask
Congress to pay the bonus early. Many of the veterans with their families set
up camp in Anacostia Park in the eastern part of the capital; holding huge
marches down Pennsylvania Avenue.
On July 28, President Hoover ordered the Bonus Army dispersed under the
command of General Douglas MacArthur. Across the nation, the press
condemned the president for the attack.
Hoover Home | Hoover Online Index | Biographical Sketch of Herbert Hoover | Hoover
Online | Hoover and Belgian Relief
National Archives and Records Administration
hoover.webmaster@nara.gov
Last updated: June 20, 2001
Handout #2
Website source: http://www.bergen.cc.nj.us/pages/2443.asp
Primary documents vs. Secondary documents
Primary Sources are original materials such as autobiographies, poems, diaries, documents, research articles,
original data, or an original creation such as a piece of art.*
Secondary Sources describe, explain or interpret primary sources.
These include
literature
criticism, biographies,
Teaching
with Primary
Sources
books about a topic, reviews, encyclopedias, and dictionaries.
Illinois State University
Examples:
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Handout #3
DOCUMENTS TO TEACH HISTORY—NOT IN YOUR U.S. HISTORY BOOKS, BUT A STORY
THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD….
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm203.html
Home - Overview - Treasure Talks - Learn More About It - Object Checklist (Current) - Credits
Exhibition Sections: Top Treasures - Memory - Reason - Imagination
The Bonus Army March
Theodor Horydczak (ca. 1870-1971)
Veterans Bonus March, Washington, July 1932
Gelatin silver photographs (58F.2a,b)
Prints & Photographs Division
Gift of Norma and
Francis Reeves, 1973
Digital ID#s ppmsca-05576, ppmsca-05577
The Bonus Army, some 15,000 to 20,000
World War I veterans from across the country, marched
on the Capitol in June 1932 to request early payment of
cash bonuses due to them in 1945. The Great Depression
had destroyed the economy, leaving many veterans
jobless.
Veteran Army Signal Corps photographer
Theodor Horydczak, of Washington, D.C., photographed
their camp site on the Mall. Six futile weeks of lobbying
Congress raised government fears of riots, and on July
28, cavalry, infantry, tank troops and a mounted machine
gun squadron commanded by General Douglas
MacArthur and Major Dwight Eisenhower dispersed
veterans and their families with bayonets and tear gas.
Public opinion denounced President Herbert Hoover for
the resulting bloodshed and helped force him from
office.
Veterans March to Washington to Arrive at Opening of
Congress, December 5, 1932, to Demand Cash Payment
Bonus.
Rare Book & Special Collections Division (58G.2)
Home - Overview - Treasure Talks - Learn More About It - Object Checklist (Current) - Credits
Exhibition Sections: Top Treasures - Memory - Reason - Imagination
Exhibitions Home Page - Library of Congress Home Page
Library of Congress
( June 24, 2005 )
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Handout #4
The Bonus Army
Dagvin R.M. Anderson
Source: http://www.sais-jhu.edu/depts/strategic/courses/fall2002/tk/bonusarmy.doc
American Military History and its Historical Foundation
Professor T. Keaney
1 October 2002
In the summer of 1932 approximately 20,000 World War I veterans gathered in Washington D.C. in order
to force the early payment of a bonus for their wartime service. They called themselves the Bonus
Expeditionary Force (BEF) but were commonly called the Bonus Army. The veterans had been promised a
bonus in 1924 to compensate them for wages lost during their service in the army, but this bonus was not
to be paid until 1945. Initially the veterans responded favorably to the terms of the bonus as it was the first
time government assistance was available to all veterans and was not qualified as to whether or not they
were disabled, indigent, or had served in combat. In addition, the economic climate was good, and they
had also been granted government-funded health care.1 This positive attitude changed once the Great
Depression hit and thousands of veterans were out of work and the government refused to pay the bonus
early.
In May 1932 a group of about 300 veterans under the nominal leadership of Walter W. Waters set out from
Portland, Oregon for Washington D.C. Their goal was to influence Congress, which was debating the
Patman Bill to authorize the early payment of the bonus. More or less spontaneously, thousands of
veterans from across the country decided to join the march, culminating in approximately 20,000 veterans,
some with families, converging on Washington.
The veterans occupied empty buildings in downtown Washington and also built a shantytown just across
the Anacostia River in Anacostia Flats. They made daily trips to the Capitol to demonstrate in support of
the Patman Bill and maintained a relatively peaceful camp with a newspaper, mess hall and loose
organization. When the bill was finally defeated on June 15th, everyone in Washington expected the
marchers to disperse. Instead they remained in Washington with no intention of leaving.
The extended presence of the unemployed veterans fed one of the great fears of the Hoover administration
- a revolution of the masses backed by communism.2 Although there was no direct link between the
communists and the veterans, who were mostly anti-communist, the communists attempted to capitalize on
the march for political gain. Finally on July 28th, President Hoover ordered the removal of the veterans
from Washington by force. The police attempted to peaceably remove the veterans, but in an act of
confusion, two veterans were fatally shot. This prompted Hoover to call in the army to remove the veterans.
Under the command of General MacArthur the army forcibly removed the veterans from the city.
MacArthur, however, took the initiative to cross the Anacostia that night and drive all the veterans from the
area. During the eviction the shantytown was set on fire and the veterans were forced out in the middle of
the night. The army accomplished the eviction without firing a shot or seriously injuring any veterans. The
newsreels showing the shantytown afire with the Capitol standing in the background overshadowed this
fact, however. 3
The Bonus Army had both short and long term effects on the government and went beyond the primary
issue of payment of the bonus. The immediate effects of the bonus army derived from how the
government, especially President Hoover and General MacArthur, handled the eviction of the veterans
from the Capitol. Many Americans were angry that the government had ordered the army to act against
veterans and this backlash affected Hoover's re-election campaign by helping turn public opinion against
him. Hoover also lost the support of the VFW and the American Legion, both of which condemned
Hoover's action in local newspapers throughout the country. A large number of Americans viewed it as
unnecessary and sympathized with the veterans who were not merely bums, but war heroes. Most non-
veteran voters viewed the Bonus Army as a test of the humanitarian impulses of the president, which in
many people's eyes, he failed. 4
These feelings directly reinforced the larger issue for many Americans that the federal government was
responsible for alleviating the suffering of the unemployed workers in the country. Conscription of soldiers
by the federal government for World War I created an undeniable link between the veterans and the federal
government. The bonus marchers became highly symbolic of the federal government's responsibility for
the prosperity of the American worker. It was a short leap for many Americans from the bonus marchers to
questioning Hoover's opposition to aiding unemployed workers at large. Shortly after his election Roosevelt
created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in an effort to appease the veterans and to reduce the
appeal of the down-and-out veteran to other Americans. The bonus itself and the creation of the CCC
served as early examples of the federal government providing entitlements for a group of citizens, thereby
setting the stage for more sweeping social reform later. World War I veterans were symbolic of the issues
and plight of the common man and also provided a link to the federal government which shifted the
responsibility of their well being to the federal government for the first time in American history.5
The most direct and arguably to most significant result of the Bonus Army's march on Washington was the
creation of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, universally known as "the G.I. Bill." In an effort to
smoothly ease World War II veterans back into a peacetime economy, and mindful of the discontent of the
World War I veterans and the BEF in 1932, President Roosevelt proposed special benefits in July 1943 for
returning veterans. The G.I. Bill provided low interest house loans and money to pay for higher education
to all veterans regardless of background creating opportunity instead of uncertainty for the thousands of
returning veterans.6 This provided lasting social changes for America's middle class as higher education
became the norm and helped fuel the economic boom of the post-war era. For the first time the G.I. Bill
made wartime service a means of social advancement and also cemented the veteran as a separate social
class in America. 7
Footnotes:
1. Jennifer Keene, Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America, (Baltimore: The Johns
Hopkins University Press, 2001) 175-8.
2. Douglas MacArthur, Reminiscences, (Time Inc., 1964) 92-7.
3. Franklin Folsom, Impatient Armies of the Poor, (Niwot, Colorado: University Press of Colorado,
1991) 310-322.
4. Keene, 195-8.
5. Keene, 199-204.
6. Michael D. Haydock, "The G.I. Bill," American History, 31.4 (1996): 52-8.
7. Keene, 205-210.
Handout #5
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/bonusarmy.htm
The Bonus Army Invades
Washington, D.C., 1932
Six years after the end of World War I Congress enacted a bill that would reward veterans of the conflict a cash bonus for their
service. However, the legislation stipulated that the veterans would not collect their bonus
until 1945.
This delayed gratification was acceptable to the World War I veterans during the prosperous
'20s but the onslaught of the Great Depression changed their attitude. Out of work, destitute,
and with families to feed, the veterans organized a march on Washington in May of 1932 to
force Congress to immediately pay their bonus. An estimated 15,000 made their way to the
nation's capital and dubbed themselves the "Bonus Expeditionary Force."
Using scrap wood, iron and any other loose materials they could find, the veterans set up
ramshackle camps throughout the city. The largest housed an estimated 10,000 people. They
waited in vain for Congress to act. On June 17 the Senate voted against the House-passed
bill that would have given the Bonus Marchers immediate payment of their benefit.
Tanks and cavalry prepare to
evacuate the Bonus Army
July 28, 1932
Having no other place to go, the majority of the Bonus Army remained encamped in the
city, despite the fact that Congress had adjourned for the summer. Finally, President Hoover
ordered the Army to forcibly remove the veterans. On July 28 a force of tanks and cavalry under the command of General
Douglas MacArthur stormed the camps and drove the veterans out. Their makeshift houses were then set ablaze.
"I was horrified to see plain evidence of hunger in their faces."
Evalyn Walsh McLean was the wife of the owner of the Washington Post and a pillar of Washington Society. She describes the
scene as the Bonus Army first entered Washington and marched past her elegant mansion:
"On a day in June, 1932, I saw a dusty automobile truck roll slowly past my house. I saw the unshaven, tired faces of the men
who were riding in it standing up. A few were seated at the rear with their legs dangling over the lowered tailboard. On the side
of the truck was an expanse of white cloth on which, crudely lettered in black, was a legend, BONUS ARMY.
Other trucks followed in a straggling succession, and. on the sidewalks of Massachusetts Avenue where stroll most of the
diplomats and the other fashionables of Washington were some ragged hikers, wearing scraps of old uniforms. The sticks with
which they strode along seemed less canes than cudgels. They were not a friendly-looking lot, and I learned they were hiking
and riding into the capital along each of its radial avenues; that they had come from every part of the continent. It was not lost on
me that those men, passing anyone of my big houses, would see in such rich shelters a kind of challenge.
I was burning, because I felt that crowd of men, women, and children never should have been permitted to swarm across the
continent. But I could remember when those same men, with others, had been cheered as they marched down Pennsylvania
Avenue. While I recalled those wartime parades, I was reading in the newspapers that the bonus army men were going hungry in
Washington.
That night I woke up before I had been asleep an hour. I got to thinking about those poor devils marching around the capital.
Then I decided that it should be a part of my son Jock's education to see and try to comprehend that marching. It was one
o'clock, and the Capitol was beautifully lighted. I wished then for the power to turn off the lights and use the money thereby
saved to feed the hungry.
When Jock and I rode among the bivouacked men I was horrified to see plain evidence of hunger in their faces; I heard them
trying to cadge cigarettes from one another. Some were lying on the sidewalks, unkempt heads pillowed on their arms. A few
clusters were shuffling around. I went up to one of them, a fellow with eyes deeply sunken in his head.
'Have you eaten?' He shook his head.
Just then I saw General Glassford, superintendent of the Washington police. He said, 'I'm going to get some coffee for them.'
'All right,' I said, 'I am going to Childs'.'
It was two o'clock when I walked into that white restaurant. A man came up to take my order. 'Do you serve sandwiches? I want
a thousand," I said. "And a thousand packages of cigarettes.'
'But, lady - '
'I want them right away. I haven't got a nickel with me, but you can trust me. I am Mrs. McLean.'
Well, he called the manager into the conference, and before long they were slicing bread with a machine; and what with
Glassford's coffee also (he was spending his own money) we two fed all the hungry ones who were in sight.
.One day Waters, the so-called commander, came to my house and said: 'I'm desperate. Unless these men are fed, I can't say
what won't happen to this town.' With him was his wife, a little ninety-three-pounder, dressed as a man, her legs and feet in
shiny boots. Her yellow hair was freshly marceled.
'She's been on the road for days,' said Waters, 'and has just arrived by bus.'
I thought a bath would be a welcome change; so I took her upstairs to that guest bedroom my father had designed for King
Leopold. I sent for my maid to draw a bath, and told the young woman to lie down.
'You get undressed,' I said, 'and while you sleep I'll have all your things cleaned and pressed.'
'Oh, no,' she said, 'not me. I'm not giving these clothes up. I might never see them again.'
Her lip was out, and so I did not argue. She threw herself down on the bed, boots and all, and I tiptoed out.
That night I telephoned to Vice-President Charlie Curtis. I told him I was speaking for Waters, who was standing by my chair. I
said: 'These men are in a desperate situation, and unless something is done for them, unless they are fed, there is bound to be a
lot of trouble. They have no money, nor any food.'
Charlie Curtis told me that he was calling a secret meeting of senators and would send a delegation of them to the House to urge
immediate action on the Howell bill, providing money to send the bonus army members back to their homes."
References:
Evalyn Walsh McLean's account appears in: Father Struck it Rich (1936); Daniels, Roger, The Bonus March; an Episode of the
Great Depression (1971).
How To Cite This Article:
"The Bonus Army Invades Washington, D.C., 1932," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2006).
Handout #6
Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents (Lessons for Obama): A New Blog Series
Thomas Craughwell - January 9th, 2009
The inauguration of a new president is
always an exciting moment for Americans: the new
man’s supporters are filled with expectation,
wondering what changes he will introduce, while his
opponents speculate how long it will take before the
new president screws up.
To err is human—a truism that’s just as true
about presidents as it is about the rest of us. But when
we read the lives of our presidents we learn that the
presidents had what they considered to be sound
reasons, even the best of intentions, for what they
did. Even covering up the Watergate break-in seemed
like a good idea at the time.
And so, drawing from the history of the
U.S. presidents, I’d like to offer president-elect
Barack Obama a Top Ten list of presidential mistakes
he might want to avoid. These are based on the new
book, Failures of the Presidents: From the Whiskey
Rebellion and War of 1812 to the Bay of Pigs and
War in Iraq (written with M. William Phelps).

#10: The Whiskey Rebellion Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: Watch who will bear the burden of new taxes.

#9: Deport Blacks to Santo Domingo (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: Get solid commitments from Congress.

#8: How Carter Lectured, Not Led (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: Encourage. Inspire. Don’t lecture.

#7: Thomas Jefferson’s Embargo (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: When it comes to the economy, do no harm.

#6: Hoover’s Attack on the Bonus Army (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: Don’t beat up on the unemployed.

#5: The Internment of the Japanese (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: Beware of hysteria.

#4: Kennedy’s Failure at the Bay of Pigs (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: There is no such thing as bargain-basement regime change.

#3: The Watergate Scandal (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: A cover-up makes a bad situation worse.

#2: The Vietnam War (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: Ask the tough questions before you go to war.

#1: The Alien and Sedition Acts (Top 10 Mistakes by U.S. Presidents)
Lesson: Respect the Constitution.