The Midwest Crime Wave, 1932-34 HIST-214: Monsters, Gangsters and the Great Depression

The Traditional, Romanticized Story The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde by Bonnie Parker You have read the story of Jesse James, Of how he lived and died. If you are still in need of something to read Here is the story of Bonnie & Clyde Now Bonnie and Clyde are the Barrow gang. I’m sure you all have read How they rob and steal, And how those who squeal, Are usually found dying or dead . . . (Toland, 82, 297-8)

The Outlaw Tradition in American History Stretches back to the 19th century, and really takes off following the Civil War. Civil war guerillas, mainly former Confederates, rob trains, banks, and people in newly settled regions of the Plains and Southwest. Jesse James is probably the most famous. Outlaws, in the popular imagination were “of the people,” only robbed the wealthy, gave back to the poor, and only killed in retribution or when trapped. Outlaws, unlike the urban ethnic gangster, preferred to “hit and run” and operate in more open areas where they can use mobility and the rural environment for cover.

Social Factors Making the Outlaw As noted previously, the disparity between social developments and social controls. Toland does a very good job of describing the mismatch between local law enforcement and the outlaw gangs. The role of the media and film: newspapers contributed to the romanticization of violence and the early gangster films likely played a role as well. The anti-authoritarian streak in American culture and mistrust of government: the outlaws, more than the gangsters, were able to rely on local protection (look at the response of Dillinger’s home town).

Dramatis Personae John Dillinger and his 2 gangs. Ma Barker and the “boys.” Pretty Boy Floyd. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow and their gang. Baby Face Nelson. Machine Gun Kelly and wife Kathryn. J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. Chicago’s Dillinger Squad and Sergeant Frank Reynolds.

Questions to Consider The Midwest and Plains States were very hard hit by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl: did these factors promote a criminal culture? If so, what was happening in the rest of the country? How did the crime wave impact the development of the FBI? Was it only about responding to a real need, or was Hoover also using the crime wave to promote the nationalization of law enforcement? What about the media and films? Did they help create this “monster”? Can we establish links between how gangsters were portrayed on film and in newspapers, and how they acted? At the same time the Midwest Outlaws were robbing banks, kidnapping people, and shooting it out with law enforcement, the New Deal was just getting started with things like the CCC, AAA, FDIC, and WPA that would bring benefits to the region. Were these programs partially in response to developments in America’s “Heartland” and did their establishment help bring an end to outlawry?