The 1968 Democratic National Convention protests and the trial that followed are among the best-documented events of the era. Students, writers and anyone curious can now read much of the original material online or request it from archives. This guide explains the main kinds of sources, what each can and cannot tell you, and how to use them responsibly.
Start with the difference between primary and secondary sources
A primary source was created at the time by people involved in or witnessing the events: trial transcripts, court filings, government reports, news footage, photographs, letters and memoirs. A secondary source interprets those materials later, as history books, documentaries and articles like this one do. Good research uses secondary sources for context and goes back to primary sources to check claims.
Trial transcripts
The full trial record runs to many thousands of pages. Substantial excerpts, organised by witness and topic, are available online through educational projects, notably the Famous Trials website created by law professor Douglas Linder of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Several published books also reproduce large portions of the testimony. When quoting the transcript, note that popular accounts sometimes compress or paraphrase exchanges, so check the wording against an excerpt of the record itself where possible.
The Walker Report
After the convention, the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence commissioned a study team led by Daniel Walker. Its report, Rights in Conflict, released in December 1968, drew on large numbers of witness statements and film footage and famously described much of the violence as a "police riot". It is essential reading for understanding the events the trial was about, and copies are held by many libraries.
Court opinions
The appeals court decision that reversed the riot convictions, United States v. Dellinger, decided by the Seventh Circuit in 1972, is a public document that can be found through law libraries and free case-law databases. The separate appeals concerning the contempt citations are also published. Reading the opinions shows how judges assessed the trial, which is often different from how films and books portray it.
Government and court records
Federal court records from the trial are held by the U.S. National Archives, which has a regional facility in Chicago. Some files are open to researchers on request, and archivists can advise on what exists and how to access it. Records released under the Freedom of Information Act, including FBI files about several of the defendants, have been published by the government and discussed in later scholarship.
News and television archives
- Newspapers. Contemporary reporting from Chicago and national newspapers shows how the events were described at the time. Many libraries provide free access to historical newspaper databases with a library card.
- Television news. The Vanderbilt Television News Archive, which began recording network evening news in August 1968, holds coverage from the convention period onwards. Network television coverage of the protests outside the Conrad Hilton hotel, where demonstrators chanted "The whole world is watching", is among the most important visual records of 1968.
- Photographs. Press agencies and museums hold extensive photo collections. Check the rights and credit requirements before reusing any image.
Museums and libraries
The Chicago History Museum and university libraries in the Chicago area hold collections relating to 1968, including posters, pamphlets and oral histories. Many institutions publish digitised items online and will answer research enquiries.
Memoirs and first-hand accounts
Several defendants, lawyers and journalists later wrote memoirs or accounts of the trial. These are valuable for understanding motives and atmosphere, but they were written from particular points of view, sometimes years later. Compare them against the transcript and contemporary reporting.
Tips for responsible research
- Cite precisely. Record the source, date and page or timestamp for every quotation.
- Check dramatisations. Films and plays, including the 2020 film The Trial of the Chicago 7, compress and invent scenes. Treat them as interpretations, not records.
- Look for corroboration. Confirm important facts in at least two independent sources.
- Respect copyright. Many photographs and recordings are still under copyright even when they can be viewed online.
Our 1960s timeline and the disclaimer and sources page are good starting points for placing these materials in order.