Chicago Seven

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The Chicago Seven

1968 was one of the most turbulent years in America history. The Vietnam War became the longest war in U. S. history. American casualties were higher than 30,000. Anti-war protests grew larger and louder on college campuses. At Columbia, students took control of the office of the President and held three persons hostage to protest the school's connection to the defense Department. Following the April assassination of Martin Luther King in Memphis riots happened in 125 cities leaving 46 dead. After Senator Eugene McCarthy challenged President Linden Johnson over his support of the war, Johnson withdrew from the presidential race. Senator Robert Kennedy entered the race after Johnson left, only to be shot and killed right after he won the California primary. Feminists picketed the Miss America pageant, and black students demanded Black Studies programs. These were just some of the events leading to the Chicago Seven trial.

The Year was 1968; the place Chicago, Illinois; the cause protesting to highlight their opposition to the Viet Nam War at The Democratic National Convention infront of the media. Many groups conspired to Rally in the Streets Of those groups included National Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam (MOBE), Youth International Party (YIP or YIPPIES), The Black Panthers and Students for a democratic society (SDS). On the other hand, Chicago officials, led by Mayor Richard Daley, saw the Democratic National Convention as a grand opportunity to promote their city to the world. They did all they could to not have anti-war demonstrators spoil their plans. Before the convention, talks between the City and protest groups denied the request of the Yippies to allow demonstrators to sleep in city parks. City Administrator Stahl said that an 11 P.M. curfew would be enforced. City police were ordered to post signs in parks announcing the curfew. As the Convention got nearer, Daley put the city's 12,000 police officers on twelve-hour shifts. In addition, 7.500 Army troops and 6,000 national guardsmen, requested by Daley to aid in keeping order, arrived in Chicago.

The Seven Included: Jerry Rubin the radical co-founder of Youth International Party, Abbie Hoffman the leader of Youth International Party, David Dellinger a evangelical Christian Socialist, John Froines and Lee Weiner (the two forgotten member...

... middle of paper ...

...es were over ruled and all eight were set free.

As far as what the are doing now: Jerry Rubin was struck by a car while jaywalking in New York He worked on Wallstreet. Abbie Hoffman committed suicide after disappearing for several years. Lee Weiner is now working on funding an AIDS research group. Bobby Seale is retired but still runs his own website. David Dellinger now 82 years old still protests to change the name of Columbus Day to Native American Day. John Froines is a professor at UCLA in the public health department. Thomas Hayden ironically was a delegate at the 1996 Democratic national convention and now stands a Californian senator. And Last Rennie Davis is a lecturists and venture capitalist manager. There is no simple answer to the whether or not the Chicago defendants meant to start a riot in Chicago in 1968. Abbie Hoffman said, "I don't know whether I'm innocent or I'm guilty." The reason for the confusion (as Norman Mailer pointed out) was that the alleged conspirators "understood that you didn't have to attack the fortress anymore, just surround it, make faces at the people inside and let them have nervous breakdowns and destroy themselves."

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