1968 Democratic National Convention

1968 Democratic National Convention
Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · source
Name	1968 Democratic National Convention
Caption	Anti-war protesters confront police and National Guard troops outside the convention.
Date	August 26–29, 1968
Venue	International Amphitheatre
Location	Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41, 51, 47, N...
Participants	Democratic Party delegates, anti-war protesters, civil rights activists, Chicago Police Department
Outcome	Nomination of Hubert Humphrey for president; major party division; national spotlight on police violence.

1968 Democratic National Convention The 1968 Democratic National Convention was the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party, held from August 26 to 29 in Chicago, Illinois. It is historically significant for the violent clashes between police and thousands of anti-war and civil rights protesters in the streets, which were broadcast live on national television. The convention exposed deep fractures within the party over the Vietnam War and social justice, profoundly impacting the 1968 presidential election and the trajectory of the Civil Rights Movement.

Background and political context

The convention occurred during one of the most tumultuous years in modern American history. The Tet Offensive in January had shattered public confidence in the Vietnam War, which incumbent Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson was prosecuting. In March, Johnson stunned the nation by announcing he would not seek re-election, opening the field. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April triggered waves of grief and urban unrest, followed by the assassination of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in June, which devastated the anti-war wing of the party. The primary season became a bitter contest between Kennedy's successor, Eugene McCarthy, who ran on an anti-war platform, and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who defended the administration's policies but did not compete in most primaries. This set the stage for a contentious convention where many delegates felt the will of primary voters was being ignored by the party establishment.

Anti-war and civil rights protests

Thousands of demonstrators converged on Chicago, mobilized by a coalition of anti-war and civil rights groups. Key organizers included the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (the Mobe) and the Youth International Party (Yippies), led by figures like Tom Hayden and Abbie Hoffman. Their demands centered on an immediate end to the Vietnam War and a greater focus on domestic issues like poverty and racial equality. The protests were also a direct challenge to the city's powerful mayor, Richard J. Daley, who had vowed to maintain law and order. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), led by Ralph Abernathy following King's death, also organized a peaceful "Poor People's Campaign" presence, linking economic justice to the anti-war cause.

Convention proceedings and nomination

Inside the heavily fortified International Amphitheatre, the proceedings were chaotic and acrimonious. Delegates were deeply divided. A minority report from the Credentials Committee sought to replace the pro-Humphrey delegation from Mississippi with an integrated delegation led by the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, echoing the party's 1964 convention struggle. This challenge was defeated. A major platform fight erupted over a "peace plank" advocating an unconditional end to bombing in Vietnam and a negotiated settlement. Sponsored by McCarthy and Senator George McGovern, it was narrowly defeated, ensuring the party platform supported the administration's war policy. With the party machinery firmly behind him, Hubert Humphrey secured the presidential nomination on the first ballot. Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine was nominated for vice president.

Police response and "police riot"

The defining feature of the convention was the violent police response to the protests in Lincoln Park, Grant Park, and along Michigan Avenue. Mayor Daley had denied protest permits and deployed over 23,000 police and National Guard troops. For days, police used tear gas, batons, and indiscriminate force against protesters, bystanders, and even journalists. The most infamous incident occurred on the night of August 28, later described as a "police riot" in the official Walker Report. As demonstrators gathered near the Conrad Hilton Hotel, police violently charged the crowd, clubbing people and dragging them into paddy wagons, all under the glare of television lights. The broadcast images of what CBS anchor Walter Cronkite called "a police state" shocked the nation.

Aftermath and impact on the election

The convention's aftermath left the Democratic Party severely wounded. Humphrey left Chicago with the nomination but without the support of many anti-war and liberal Democrats, who viewed the process as illegitimate. His campaign struggled to distance itself from the administration's war policy and the image of chaos and repression from Chicago. This division greatly benefited the Republican nominee, Richard Nixon, who campaigned on a platform of "law and order," implicitly contrasting himself with the scenes from the convention. In the November election, Nixon won a narrow victory, while the American Independent Party candidate, George Wallace, siphoned off Democratic votes in the South with his segregationist appeal. The convention is widely seen as a key factor in the Democratic defeat.

Legacy and historical significance

The 1968 Democratic National Convention is a landmark event in American political and social history. It demonstrated the power of television to shape political perception and highlighted the intense generational and ideological conflicts of the 1960s. For the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil Rights MovementThe 1968 Democratic National Convention was a landmark event is a landmark event is a key the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil Rights The 1968 Democratic National The event. The event is a landmark. The event. The event. The event. The event. The event. The event. The event.