Riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention

The Democratic Convention held in 1968 served as a significant event in the cultural and political history of the United States. The Vietnam War had caused contentious politics at the convention (McGowen 6). In fact, the violence between those who were against the Vietnam War and the Police destroyed the image of Chicago and created a bad name, which has not been recovered to date.

Save Time On Research and Writing
Hire a Pro to Write You a 100% Plagiarism-Free Paper.
Get My Paper

The main cause of the demonstrations and the riots at the 1968 Chicago Convention was the opposition to the War in Vietnam. Anti-War activists had met in Illinois, where they planned the protests, marched to the convention, and clashed with the police, where consequently, the riots arose (McGowen 8). In fact, the announcement made by President Johnson that he would not be seeking re-election created uncertainty among the anti-war group. Most of the activists who were against the war in Vietnam were now involved in the presidential campaigns of those who opposed the war, including Senators Kennedy Robert, George McGovern, and McCarthy.

In early April, there was pressure to have Hubert Humphrey, the Vice President, run for the presidency. Humphrey joined the race on 27 April, and since he had a close association with President Johnson, the plans for demonstrations in Chicago continued. Another major event that preceded the 1968 Democratic Convention was the assassination of Martin Luther King, the rights activists’ leader. Riots broke throughout the United States, including Chicago, where Mayor Daley gave the order to shoot. Thus, several people were killed, including the artistic icon Andy Warhol (Kush and Frank 28). Moreover, on 5 June, Kennedy Robert, a presidential candidate, was shot after winning the California primaries. Although he died the next day, his death intensified the protests.

It is worth noting that various protests were launched against the war in Vietnam, which led to the closure of some universities, the death of activists, and police brutality. In essence, the police were mobilized to ensure that no one accessed the amphitheater where the convention was being held without accreditation.

 

Save Time On Research and Writing
Hire a Pro to Write You a 100% Plagiarism-Free Paper.
Get My Paper

Works Cited

Kusch, Frank. Battleground Chicago: The Police and the 1968 Democratic National Convention. University of Chicago Press, 2008.

McGowen, Tom. The 1968 Democratic Convention. Children’s Press, 2003.            

Calculate your order
Pages (275 words)
Standard price: $0.00
Client Reviews
4.9
Sitejabber
4.6
Trustpilot
4.8
Our Guarantees
100% Confidentiality
Information about customers is confidential and never disclosed to third parties.
Original Writing
We complete all papers from scratch. You can get a plagiarism report.
Timely Delivery
No missed deadlines – 97% of assignments are completed in time.
Money Back
If you're confident that a writer didn't follow your order details, ask for a refund.

Calculate the price of your order

You will get a personal manager and a discount.
We'll send you the first draft for approval by at
Total price:
$0.00
Power up Your Academic Success with the
Team of Professionals. We’ve Got Your Back.
Power up Your Study Success with Experts We’ve Got Your Back.
error: Content is protected !!
Open chat
1
Order through WhatsApp!
nursingesssayswritings.com
Hello!
You Can Now Place your Order through WhatsApp

Order your essay today and save 15% with the discount code ESSAYHELP23