American criminals are born primarily out of sheer desperation to provide for others or survive. These criminals are among the worst notorious criminals known to the nation. American sweethearts Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were affected by many factors leading to their crime spree. The America Bonnie and Clyde were born into made them the notorious criminals they became, changing the America they would die in. “Poverty…and crime go hand in hand. It’s the truth” (Green 16). Both Bonnie and Clyde were born into poor families. They lived their lives during the Great Depression. “It was during the Great Depression that Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow embarked on their two-year crime spree (1932-1934)” (Rosenberg 1). Both Bonnie and Clyde were desperate for money and had no limits on how to get it. Poverty was a cause of their criminal acts. “Poverty obviously does not excuse crime, but it just as obviously generates it” (Green 19). They were willing to rob banks, kill, and commit car thefts just to make money. They were desperate and needed to support themselves, but were both unemployed. Bonnie and Clyde wanted to make sure they left behind a legacy that America could notice. “The general attitude in the country was against the government and Bonnie and Clyde used that to their advantage. With an image closer to Robin Hood than mass murderers, Bonnie and Clyde captured the imagination of the nation” (Rosenberg 1). “Several bank robbers during this period became famous as Robin Hood characters who fought back against the banks, which many viewed as oppressive” (Jenkins 1). Bonnie and Clyde were trying to come off as "not so bad" guys. They knew they were against the law, but... middle of paper ......d Clyde, capturing America's heart, even though they were evil, changed America. They will truly be remembered forever” (Meyer 8). Many things have affected Bonnie and Clyde's lives, causing them to become criminals. They entered a poverty-stricken America. Many people had less hope than money. Bonnie and Clyde started stealing money from banks. Not only were they successful for a time, but they left behind a legacy that will last a lifetime. When America was at its worst, Bonnie and Clyde came and added fear into people's lives as well. “No one imagined it would be worse than this. No money, no hope, no faith. All that was gone. The addition of fear was sometimes too much for people to handle. As if they didn’t already have enough” (Baker 1). Notorious killers have left their mark in history, which will be remembered forever.