In May 1932 in Washington, D.C., a group of WWI veterans and their family members began setting up Hoovervilles (and taking up residence in abandoned buildings) as organizing locations to press the government to release their service bonuses early—to support them in their deepest moment of need. This group and their fellow demonstrators became known as the “Bonus Army.”
Read MoreThe attack on the Capitol in Washington D.C. on 6 January 2021 did not come out of nowhere. The showdown was the product of deep historical structures, most notably racism and economic inequity, as well as shorter term forces, contingent upon shifting political contexts. This timeline is an attempt to help make some of these forces more visible. It stretches back eight years--two presidential terms--to consider how the 2010s set the stage for the 6 January 2021 insurrection. A recurring theme in this timeline is the way in which anti-government, militaristic groups have been protected, supported, and cultivated by politicians through policy, public statements, and misinformation. Right wing political leaders have been particularly active in offering explicit and implicit support for ideologies and armed groups whose goals align with their own.
Read MoreThe average Democratic state has one senator for every 3 million people. The average Republican state has one senator for every 1.8 million people. In other words, Republican states have roughly 1.6 times more proportional power than Democratic states. Purple states lean closer to the average of Democratic states with one senator for every 2.9 million people.
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