Bonnie Parker Progressivism

“If a policeman is killed in Dallas, and they have no clue or guide, if they can’t find a friend, just wipe the slate clean, and hang it on Bonnie and Clyde.” -Bonnie Parker. The criminal outlaw duo Bonnie and Clyde, who also became known as The Barrow Gang, became notorious for their two year crime spree during the Great Depression and were made famous by their actions. Bonnie Parker was part of this duo and played a role in altering the image of women, which was already taking place during this time, by proving that even a woman can become a famous outlaw. Bonnie Parker was born to Henry and Emma Parker on October 1, 1910 in Rowena, Texas. Her father died in 1914, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Krouse, Bonnie's maternal grandparents, who lived
in a suburb of Dallas called Cement City, encouraged the family to come live with them. Before his death, her father worked as a brick mason, and her mother was a housewife. As a child, she was an honor student at her school, writing poetry, and participating in many spelling bees. Standing at only 4’11 and weighing a mere 85 pounds, her future life as a legendary criminal was in no way predictable. In 1926, Bonnie married Roy Thorton, her long time sweetheart. They were married for several years and suffered a troublesome marriage. She was finally able to separate from Thorton after he was sent to prison; they never official divorced. Bonnie met Clyde Barrow in 1930 and her life of crime began after she smuggled a pistol into Barrows’ jail cell and aided in his escape. Over the next couple years, Bonnie and Clyde went on a rampage of robbery and murder which stretched across many states including Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, New Mexico, and Arkansas all the while staying loyal to each other. Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down on May 23, 1934 in Black Lake, Louisiana after driving into a trap set by the police. Around the time of Bonnie’s birth, progressivism started becoming a very important part of American history.
Jane Addams was a primary leader during this time by founding “Hull House”, a house which featured activities and classes that would help busy workingwomen who wished to expand their education or simply just to relax after a long days work. Hull House became a “spearhead for reform” which became part of progressivism. Other movements during this time included the social purity movement, which campaigned to clean up prostitution. William Howard Taft took over the presidency in 1909 after Theodore Roosevelt retired. He wasn’t in office for a long time because the elections of 1912 were just around the corner. Woodrow Wilson won the election and became America’s new president. He was determined to maintain the strength that Roosevelt had created in government during his presidency. He became the first president since John Adams to go to Capitol Hill and speak directly to Congress. He created the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 which became one of the most important parts of domestic legislation during his presidency. This created a national banking system which featured twelve banks, privately controlled, but regulated and supervised by the Federal Reserve Board, which was appointed by the president himself. It was great for the economy and it provided the government with more control over banks. In 1917, the United States entered World War I against Germany and its allies.
At first, Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would remain neutral and that the war was only a European matter. Over time however, the United States became closer and closer to siding with the Allies. They started aiding the allies by providing war material for them. After the war, Americans, primarily progressives, hoped that the war would improve American life. Wilson announced that he wanted peace and provided the nation with fourteen points which represented his path to achieving that peace. The Paris Peace Conference was what was finally done to find much needed peace; at least on paper. WWI also started a new trend for women. They would be involved in war efforts just like men. Although they weren’t engaged in battle, they worked as nurses, drove ambulances, and even aided the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and the YMCA. In 1919, the Red Scare, which featured postwar recession, labor unrest, and difficulties of reintegrating millions of returning veterans swept the nation with fear. Along with the Red Scare, postwar America was faced with labor strikes, race riots, and more. A benefit of WWI was that African Americans were finally able to leave the cotton fields and kitchens in the South to which they were confined to for a long time. The 1920’s became known as the “New Era” which featured many cultural changes, spirited energy, and the evolution of the automobile. When it came to automobiles and the popularity that surrounded them, Henry Ford became the main advocate. Producing millions of custom made cars, Ford proved that he had positive visions for a New America. The “Roaring Twenties” as they became known as, opened the eyes of many people. A prospering economy also meant prospering gangs and criminals such as Al Capone and later of course, Bonnie and Clyde. It was also during this time that women started coming out of their shoes and doing things that weren’t normal for the “typical” woman. They started working, going to college, and as a result of the Nineteenth Amendment, were given the right to vote. The election of 1928 deemed Herbert Hoover the new president of the U.S. Economic growth in the United States came to an abrupt halt when the stock market crash took place in 1929. Although the rumor that the stock market crash itself was the cause of the Great Depression, it certainly did play a large role. By 1930, effects of the Great Depression started to truly kick in. Children were going to bed hungry, and adults, although willing to work, had no place to do so. Homeless and jobless individuals wandered in search of work and food, often huddling in doorways for shelter. The New Deal was launched by Roosevelt and his administration in 1933 in hopes of bringing relief, recovery, and reform to the fallen nation. The New Deal brought banking and finance reform, relief and conservation programs, agricultural initiatives, and industrial recovery. Some individuals were reluctant to accept business reform however. Although Bonnie Parker was an American fugitive, she, along with her partner Clyde Barrow became known as one of the most notorious and legendary criminals of her time; a title which wasn’t regularly given to a woman. Her efforts to venture across the country and evade countless waves of police attacks, proved the power and potential a woman had during the time. She showed the nation that women could be equals to men and that a life of crime and murder was not only reserved for men. Her life as a woman who was shying away from typical woman roles was backed up by everything women were accomplishing during her time. Her efforts were able to add another notch to women’s rights. Another criminal who inked the pages of history books during this time was Alphonse Capone also known as “Big Al”.
Like Bonnie, Capone was a gangster and made a living in the liquor trade business, killing anyone who got in the way. Capone wasn’t constantly on the run like Bonnie, but he did nevertheless lead a life of crime and was finally imprisoned for tax evasion. Capone became the era’s most notorious gang lord and didn’t have gender issues standing in his way. Bonnie didn’t have gender issues standing in her way either, but had she been a male, and merely an accomplice of Clyde, her story would not have been as impressive. It is because of criminals such as Bonnie Parker, that law enforcement has grown into what it is today. If Bonnie would have led her life of crime today, she would not have been able to evade police capture for such a long time. Today there are different methods of trying criminals and sentencing them such as the death penalty and life in prison. Bonnie and Clyde were hunted by the police and shot down by 167 bullets. In today’s times, firing that many bullets at two people would be considered borderline police brutality. This shows that law enforcement has come a long way over the
years. Bonnie Parker, the woman of the crime duo Bonnie and Clyde, showed that the life of a criminal is not limited to men and added to the campaign of changing women during her time. Bonnie and Clyde died young, but they led an exciting and on-the-edge kind of life. Looking back at Bonnies life, it is obvious that she took in a life of crime for her beloved and showed that someone is willing to go through any lengths for the person they love, even becoming a famous outlaw.

Bibliography
Friedman, Lester D. Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2000
Milner, E.R. The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press. 1996.
Roark, James L. The American Promise. Volume II: From 1865. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s 2009.
Strickland, Kristi. “Parker, Bonnie”. The Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed April 4, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Wake, Sandra. The Bonnie and Clyde Book. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1972.

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[ 1 ]. Milner, E.R. The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press. 1996. Pg. 16
2 Milner. Pg. 16
[ 3 ]. Roark, James L. The American Promise. Volume II: From 1865. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s 2009. Pg. 649.
[ 4 ]. Roark. Pg. 699
[ 5 ]. Roark. Pg. 728