Chicago's Daleys: History of a Dynasty
The Chicago DNC
Four months after the 1968 racial riots, Chicago hosted the Democratic Party's national convention. In his welcoming speech to the delegates, Daley promised, "As long as I am mayor of this city, there's going to be law and order in Chicago." To assure peace, he ordered that a 25,000-strong security force be on hand, but tension outside the convention between demonstrators and the police built nightly until a major riot, known as "the Battle of Michigan Avenue," exploded in Grant Park. Daley, shown above on the convention floor, where he remained throughout the confrontations, defended the actions of the police, but a presidential commission found them responsible for precipitating the violence and cited Daley as one of the causes of their lack of restraint. The convention riots and the subsequent recriminations struck a major blow to Daley's pride and prestige.