The Bonus Army

The Bonus Army was a group of about 17,000 World War I soldiers, plus their families, who came to Washington D.C. in 1932. They wanted the government to pay them money they were promised for fighting in the war. The government had given them special certificates, like a special promise, but they couldn't cash them in until many years later.

The soldiers were out of work because of a big problem called the Great Depression, so they really needed the money now!

These soldiers set up a huge camp right in Washington D.C. It was like a temporary town made of tents and shacks. They called themselves the 'Bonus Expeditionary Force,' which sounded like the brave soldiers who went to Europe in World War I.

Most of them were just looking for a fair deal. They wanted to remind the President and other leaders that they had served their country and deserved their bonus money sooner rather than later.

The President at the time, Herbert Hoover, didn't want the soldiers to stay. He ordered the army to make them leave. The soldiers were peaceful, but the army came with tanks and soldiers to force them out.

It was a very sad and scary time. The soldiers and their families had to leave their camp, and some of their belongings were even burned. This made many people feel very upset about how the veterans were treated.

Yes, eventually! Even though they were forced out of their camp, the Bonus Army's march made people think. Later, a new President, Franklin D.

Roosevelt, offered some of the veterans jobs helping build parks and roads. And finally, in 1936, the government paid the veterans their bonus money, even though it was nine years earlier than planned! It showed that sometimes, people have to speak up to be heard.