Democratic National Convention (1968)

Democratic National Convention (1968)

The 1968 Democratic National Convention was held August 26–29 in Chicago, at the International Amphitheatre, nominating Hubert Humphrey for President of the United States and Edmund Muskie for Vice President of the United States. The convention occurred amid the Vietnam War, the aftermath of the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, producing intense clashes between delegates, activists, and law enforcement. National attention focused on party unity, antiwar opposition, and urban unrest, influencing the trajectory of the 1968 United States presidential election.

Background

Party organization and national politics in 1968 were shaped by decisions made within the Democratic National Committee and by influential figures such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, and Eugene McCarthy. The escalation of the Vietnam War under the Lyndon B. Johnson administration provoked protests coordinated by groups including the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam and the Students for a Democratic Society. The unexpected popularity of Robert F. Kennedy and the insurgent campaign of Eugene McCarthy exposed divisions within the Democratic Party (United States), while the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. precipitated nationwide unrest in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago sought to present order at the convention, coordinating with the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois National Guard, and federal officials like Hubert H. Humphrey allies and members of the Johnson administration to manage security and delegate access.

Delegates and Candidates

Primary season contests had produced a fragmented coalition of delegates pledged to multiple contenders including Hubert Humphrey, who entered the convention without competing in many state primaries; Eugene McCarthy, who ran an antiwar insurgency; and the slain Robert F. Kennedy, whose delegates pledged to remain influential through supporters such as Angelton, activists, and political allies. Delegates included labor leaders from the AFL–CIO, members of the Democratic National Committee, and elected officials from states like New York, California, and Texas. Organized delegations represented constituencies such as civil rights activists aligned with Coretta Scott King sympathizers, student groups with ties to Students for a Democratic Society, and ethnic caucuses from Cook County, Illinois, and New York City. Contested credentials fights involved delegations from Michigan, Massachusetts, and Oregon, reflecting splits over Vietnam War policy and party reform advocated by the McGovern–Fraser Commission reformers, who later sought changes to delegate selection and platform drafting.

Convention Proceedings

Inside the International Amphitheatre, chairmen and parliamentarians applied rules derived from prior conventions like the 1964 Democratic National Convention (United States). Key speeches came from figures such as Hubert Humphrey, labor leaders from the AFL–CIO including George Meany, and civil rights advocates associated with NAACP and Congress of Racial Equality. Platform debates focused intensely on Vietnam War policy, with antiwar amendments proposed by supporters of Eugene McCarthy and backers of Robert F. Kennedy’s legacy clashing with pro-administration delegates sympathetic to Lyndon B. Johnson’s foreign policy. Delegates negotiated the nomination tally through roll call votes, credential challenges, and rules committee maneuvers involving representatives from California, Illinois, and New York. The convention ultimately nominated Hubert Humphrey on the first ballot, while Edmund Muskie was selected for the vice-presidential slot after deliberations among party leaders including George McGovern and Walter Reuther of the United Auto Workers.

Protests and Police Response

Outside the convention, mass demonstrations coordinated by the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, Students for a Democratic Society, Youth International Party, and civil rights coalitions converged on Chicago. Organizers planned marches, teach-ins, and rallies near the International Amphitheatre and in locations such as Grant Park and Daley Plaza. Mayor Richard J. Daley mobilized the Chicago Police Department and requested federal support from entities including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. Clashes between demonstrators and police escalated into violent confrontations televised nationally, featuring baton charges, mass arrests, and allegations of police brutality documented by journalists from outlets like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and CBS News correspondents including Walter Cronkite. Protest leaders such as Abbie Hoffman and members of the Yippies were arrested, while established activists from CORE and SNCC criticized both police tactics and party leadership. The televised scenes prompted Congressional and public scrutiny, with hearings and analyses later referencing the events in discussions involving the Federal Communications Commission and legislative bodies.

Aftermath and Political Impact

The convention’s turmoil had immediate electoral consequences in the 1968 United States presidential election, influencing campaign narratives used by the Republican nominee Richard Nixon and independent candidate George Wallace. The perception of Democratic disarray contributed to internal reform efforts within the Democratic National Committee and accelerated changes proposed by the McGovern–Fraser Commission, which reshaped delegate selection for the 1972 Democratic National Convention. Civil liberties debates following the convention implicated institutions such as the American Civil Liberties Union and prompted legal challenges in courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The convention also affected municipal politics in Chicago and the national careers of figures like Richard J. Daley, Hubert Humphrey, and activists from Students for a Democratic Society, altering trajectories for labor unions, civil rights organizations, and antiwar movements. In historiography, scholars of elections and social movements have linked the 1968 convention to broader themes in the histories of Vietnam War opposition, Civil Rights Movement, and late-20th-century American party realignment.

Category:Democratic National Convention