Alyssa+1970

On May 4, 1970 Kent State University changed forever.



The decision to bring the Ohio National Guard onto the Kent State University campus was directly related to decisions regarding American involvement in the Vietnam War. During Richard Nixon's presidency, America's involvement in the war appeared to be winding down. But in late April of 1970, the United States invaded Cambodia and widened the Vietnam War. This decision was announced on national television and radio on April 30, l970 by President Nixon. Protests occurred the next day, Friday, May 1, across United States college campuses. At Kent State University, an anti-war rally was held at noon on the Commons. Speeches against the war and the Nixon administration were given, a copy of the Constitution was buried to symbolize the murder of the Constitution, and another rally was called for noon on Monday, May 4. Friday evening in downtown Kent, solicializing in bars got out of hand and turned into a violent confrontation between protesters and local police. The entire Kent police force and other officers from surrounding communities were called to duty as Kent Mayor Leroy Satrom declared a state of emergency. Police eventually succeeded in using tear gas to disperse the crowd from downtown. The next day, Saturday, May 2, Mayor Satrom met with other city officials and a representative of the Ohio National Guard to ask Governor Rhodes to send the Ohio National Guard to Kent. On Monday, May 4 a crowd gathered in the Commons area containing approximately 3000 people.The participants in the rally were protesting the presence of the Guard on campus, although a strong anti-war sentiment was also present. Little evidence exists as to who were the leaders of the rally and what activities were planned, but initially the rally was peaceful. Shortly before noon, General Canterbury ordered the demonstrators to disperse. The announcement was made using a bullhorn. When this had no effect, the officer was placed in a jeep along with several Guardsmen and driven across the Commons to tell the protestors that the rally was banned and that they must disperse. This was met with angry shouting and rocks, and the jeep retreated. Canterbury then ordered his men to load and lock their weapons, tear gas canisters were fired into the crowd, and the Guard began to march across the Commons to disperse the rally. The protestors moved up Blanket Hill, and then down the other side of the hill onto the Prentice Hall parking lot as well as an adjoining practice football field. Most of the Guardsmen followed the students directly and soon found themselves somewhat trapped on the practice football field because it was surrounded by a fence. Yelling and rock throwing reached a peak as the Guard remained on the field for about ten minutes. Several Guardsmen could be seen huddling together, and some Guardsmen knelt and pointed their guns, but no weapons were shot at this time. The Guard then began retracing their steps from the practice football field back up Blanket Hill. As they arrived at the top of the hill, twenty-eight of the more than seventy Guardsmen turned suddenly and fired their rifles and pistols. Many guardsmen fired into the air or the ground. However, a small portion fired directly into the crowd. Altogether between 61 and 67 shots were fired in a 13 second period.Four Kent State students died as a result of the firing by the Guard and nine Kent State students were wounded. This event caused hundreds of colleges and universities to close, began the slide into Watergate, and it also had a direct impact on national politics.The shooting symbolized the political and social divisions that sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era .The legal aftermath of the May 4 shootings ended in January of 1979.The financial settlement provided $675,000 to the wounded students and the parents of the students who had been killed. Since May 4, l970, a voluminous literature has developed analyzing the events of May 4th and their aftermath, but no single book can be considered the definitive account of the events and aftermath of May 4, l970 at Kent State University. Very good with a lot of information. 97-CP