Bank Robbers, Machine Guns, and The National Firearms Act of 1934

After World War I, weapons that had been developed for the war found their way onto the streets of American cities resulting in what has been called the Golden Age of Bank Robberies. The new technology—cars and machine guns—allowed robbers to more effectively rob banks. After terrifying bankers and customers with their machine guns, they could jump into cars and speed across state lines to evade local law enforcement.

Bonnie and Clyde

Clyde Champion Barrow was a “fast-talking small-town thief.” Bonnie Parker was a bored waitress and poet from Dallas who wanted some excitement. Together, they became America’s most notorious crime couple. Their crime spree began in 1932 with a series of audacious bank robberies that made headlines across the country. For years, they managed to evade the law. Eventually, they were killed by law enforcement in an ambush in Louisiana on May 23, 1934.