Chicago Convention of 1968

Chicago Convention of 1968, the Democratic Party’s 1968 convention to nominate its presidential candidate. Held in Chicago, it was noted for violence between protesters and police. Inside the convention hall, delegates debated the party’s position on the Vietnam War (1959-1975). Outside, supporters of the anti-Vietnam War movement clashed with the Chicago police in the streets. Millions of Americans, watching the convention battles on their televisions, were shocked by the conflicts they witnessed.

The convention had been planned as a renomination celebration for President Lyndon Johnson. Johnson, however, had surprised the nation on March 31 by announcing that he would not run for reelection. Suffering from poor health and unpopularity due to his failing Vietnam policy, Johnson had thrown his support to Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Humphrey was favored to win the Democratic nomination despite primary election victories by anti-Vietnam War candidates Senator Eugene McCarthy and Senator Robert Kennedy. Humphrey was favored because delegates to the convention were selected by the party leaders, not by voters in open primaries. And party leaders supported Humphrey, not the anti-war candidates.

Angered by the likely nomination of Humphrey, thousands of anti-war protesters went to Chicago to demonstrate. These demonstrators represented a range of political views. Many supported Eugene McCarthy because of his anti-war position. Some were New Left supporters who opposed not only the Vietnam War but also basic United States foreign and domestic policy. Led by Students for a Democratic Society and protest organizers Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, and David Dellinger, they wanted greater racial and economic equality at home and less U.S. domination abroad. Also protesting in Chicago were the Yippies, led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. The Yippies combined criticism of the government with a countercultural celebration of “sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.”

Before the convention began, some activists issued warnings about the potential for violence in Chicago. Numerous protesters had applied for permits to hold marches or rallies, only to be repeatedly turned down. The mayor of Chicago, Richard J. Daley, controlled the local political machine and had made very clear his intention to uphold law and order during the convention. He had also implied that the Chicago police would not deal with the protesters lightly.

Despite these warnings, thousands of protesters arrived in Chicago for the convention. All during the week, the protesters had minor clashes with the Chicago police. On the night Hubert Humphrey was nominated, the protesters clogged the streets and started taunting the police who violently attacked the protesters in an effort to clear the streets. They threw tear gas, and clubbed and arrested not only protesters but also reporters, camera operators, and bystanders. The demonstrators chanted, “the whole world is watching,” as television cameras broadcast the violence to millions of American homes. Though a blue ribbon commission later called the convention week violence “a police riot,” many Americans blamed the protesters for the disorder. Seven of the protesters, called the Chicago Seven, were charged with conspiring to incite a riot. They were arrested and put on trial.

The credibility of the Democratic Party was severely injured by the display in Chicago. As the Democratic presidential nominee, Humphrey never fully recovered from the convention debacle. In November 1968 he lost the presidential race to Richard Nixon. In addition, the Chicago Convention further radicalized some activists who felt that their nonviolent tactics were no longer effective against the violence of the system. Some of them decided that armed revolt was the only way to create change.