Democratic National Convention – 1968

An attendees’ guide to the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

This interesting assortment of ephemera related to the 1968 Democratic National Convention was accumulated by event spectator Clarence Finley, Jr. An application form reveals he worked for the Democratic Party for nearly a decade in Niles, Illinois. Also included are a convention guide, delegates’ list, a pamphlet for Michigan’s Democrats, and a double-sided seating chart/parking map of the Chicago Amphitheater.

The 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago was a deeply fractured and chaotic political event, characterized by sharp divisions over the Vietnam War and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Inside the convention hall, party leaders nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who had not run in the primaries, alienating the anti-war wing of the party. Outside, thousands of anti-war and youth protestors clashed violently with the Chicago police and National Guard in internationally televised riots, severely damaging the Democratic Party’s image and contributing to their loss in the general election.