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Bruce A. Ragsdale, Federal Judicial Center
The Trial of the Chicago 7: History, Legacy and Trial Transcript
Madison & Adams Press, 2021
Contact: [email protected]
EAN 4064066383282
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Table of Contents
The Chicago Conspiracy Trial: A Short Narrative
The Judicial Process: A Chronology
The Federal Courts and Their Jurisdiction
Legal Questions Before the Federal Courts
Media Coverage and Public Debates
The Official Trial Transcript – The Crucial Parts
The Chicago Conspiracy Trial: A Short Narrative
The trial of political activists accused of inciting riots during the Democratic National Convention of 1968 attracted national attention and exposed the depths of political and cultural divisions at a crucial moment in the nation’s history. The trial of the “Chicago Seven” became a defining event in public debates about the Vietnam War, the student protest movement, and the fairness of the federal judicial process.
The defendants and their lawyers used the courtroom as a platform for a broad critique of American society and an almost anarchic challenge to the legitimacy of governmental authority. The judge in the case displayed open contempt for the defendants, and his own unorthodox behavior threatened public confidence in the judiciary. The nearly five-month long trial illustrated the contentious and often theatrical nature of public affairs during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Table of Contents
Planning for the Democratic National Convention of 1968
Organizing protests at the Democratic convention
Planning for the Democratic National Convention of 1968
In the fall of 1967, the Democratic Party decided to hold its 1968 national convention and the expected renomination of President Lyndon Johnson in Chicago. Mayor Richard Daley promised his city would be free of the civil disorders that had broken out in major cities in recent summers. By the summer of 1968, the prospects for a smooth convention had vanished. Johnson, in the face of growing protests against the Vietnam War and alter assessing the surprising strength of Eugene McCarthy’s campaign for President, withdrew in March from the race for the nomination. The assassination of Martin Luther King in April provoked devastating urban riots in Chicago and other cities. The assassination of Robert Kennedy in June further shocked the nation and complicated the race for the Democratic nomination. The spring of 1968 had also brought the Tet offensive against American forces in Vietnam and unprecedented student protests on university campuses. By August, many Americans believed the nation was in the midst of a profound political and cultural crisis.
Organizing protests at the Democratic convention
In the fall of 1967, members of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam proposed a massive anti-war demonstration to coincide with the expected renomination of President Johnson in Chicago. The National Mobilization Committee was directed by David Dellinger, a long-time pacifist,
