The Bonus March
It was the third summer of the Great Depression. An angry mob of 5,000 men, part of what became known in history as “the Bonus March,” moved under the hot sun of July 28, 1932, up Pennsylvania Avenue in the direction of the Treasury Building and the White House. In between them were the D.C. police force, but they were outnumbered five to one. As the police confronted the menacing throng moving inexorably forward, Pelham Glassford, superintendent of the Washington police, was manhandled and stripped of his superintendent’s gold badge.
Gunfire erupted and two men were killed, with at least 20 more severely injured. The police had lost control of the situation, and the mob was poised to break through to the White House itself.
The Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia made a desperate plea for federal troops. President Herbert Hoover quickly huddled with Patrick Hurley, the secretary of war, and they agreed that only the Army could stop the mob. Hurley immediately sent an order to General Douglas MacArthur, the Army chief of staff.
JBS Member or ShopJBS.org Customer?
Sign in with your ShopJBS.org account username and password or use that login to subscribe.
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Print edition delivery (USA)
*Available Outside USA - Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically