Kent State Shooting Flashcards
When did the Cambodian Incursion begin?
April 30, 1970
As a result of the war dragging on, what was happening at colleges?
Many protests were occurring at colleges with students walking out of class.
What University had a violent protest following the Cambodian Incursion?
Kent State
What was the first day of Kent State demonstrations?
May 1, 1970
How many students were involved on May 1?
500
Where were the demonstrations held at Kent State on May 1?
Commons
What was the Commons at Kent State?
a grassy knoll in the center of campus traditionally used as a gathering place for rallies or protests
After the crowd dispersed on May 1, what happened next?
Another rally was planned for May 4
Why did the protests at Kent State take place?
To continue the protest of the expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia and the protesters wanted to “bring the war home.”
What happened on the May 1 rally?
- Some history students buried a copy of the Constitution
- Widespread anger broke out
Why did some Kent State students bury the Constitution?
To symbolize that Nixon had killed it
When did the second rallies break out?
Midnight on May 2
How did the second rally break out?
When people left a bar and began throwing beer bottles at police cars and breaking downtown storefronts.
What also happened that triggered the second rally?
A bank window broke, setting off an alarm.
How did people respond to the midnight outbreak at the bar?
The news spread quickly and it resulted in several bars closing early to avoid trouble. Later, more people had joined the vandalism.
When the police arrived at the bar attack, what had happened?
A crowd of 120 had already gathered. Some people from the crowd had already lit a small bonfire in the street
What were the types of people in the bar crowd at Kent State?
A mix of bikers, students, and transient people.
What happened after the police got to the bar?
A few members of the crowd began to throw beer bottles at the police, and then started yelling at them
What happened after the riots intensified after the police showed up?
The entire Kent police force was called to duty as well as officers from the county and surrounding communities.
Who was mayor of Kent during the riots? What did he do after the midnight bar attack?
LeRoy Satrom, and he declared a state of emergency. He called the Ohio Governor for assistance and closed all the bars.
Who was Governor of Ohio during the riots?
Jim Rhodes
What did the closing of the bars do to the rioting?
It increased the size of the angry crowd
What did police do to control the crowd protesting about the early closing of the bars?
They spread tear gas to disperse the crowd from downtown, forcing them to move several blocks back to the campus.
What happened on May 2 at the start of the day?
- City officials and downtown businesses received threats
- rumors showed that radicals were in Kent to destroy the city and university
What did Mayor Satrom do after these rumors on May 2?
He met with Kent city officials and a representative of the Ohio Army National Guard
What did Satrom do after the meeting on May 2?
He called Governor Rhodes and he requested that the National Guard be sent to Kent
Did Rhodes grant Satrom’s national guard wish?
Yes
Why did Satrom want the National Guard to handle the Kent State riots?
He felt that local officials would not be able to handle future disturbances.
When was the National Guard decision made?
5 PM
When did the Guard arrive on May 2?
10PM
Before the Guard got there, what happened at Kent State?
A demonstration with thousands of people was taking place on campus, which included the ROTC building on campus burning.
Did anyone die from the ROTC fire on May 2?
No
How did the protestors observe the ROTC fire?
They were cheering and chanting “burn baby burn”
When police and fireman were at the ROTC fire, what did the protestors do to them?
They were struck by rocks and other objects while attempting to extinguish the blaze
When the National Guard arrived, what did they do to stop the protestors?
They made numerous arrests and used tear gas, one student was wounded from a bayonet.