Charcoal sketch, "Bonus Army March on Washington - Marching Band"

In this very romanticized depiction of a Bonus marchers 1934 demonstration, the artist and longtime labor and political activist, Sara Berman-Beach, attempted to capture the embedding clash between protestors and government forces.

In 1924 the federal government had award veterans a bonus for their service during the First World War to be paid in 1945. Now, in the depth of the Great Depression, to relive their financial crises, veterans organized across the country and came to Washington requesting that these funds be paid now.

In May 1932, accompanied by families and supporter, thousands of veterans began to settle in makeshift camp sites around Washington, held demonstrations, and lobbied Congress. When the Bonus bill failed to pass the Senate in June, the government began steps to remove the encampments. The veteran groups resisted, and under orders from President Herbert Hoover the Army, in violent clashes drove the protesters out. While the Army accomplished its goal, Hoover’s reputation was further damaged, leading to his defeat to Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential election.

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