Washington, DC Riots
4/8/1968
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In April 1968, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to support sanitation workers that were on strike. It was in Memphis on April 3rd that King would give his final speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” The next day, on the evening of April 4th while at the Lorraine Motel, King was assassinated.
Within a few hours of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, riots had broken out in several cities across the United States. In the Nation’s Capital, where four days earlier King had delivered his sermon at the National Cathedral-“Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution”-14th and U Streets became the center of civil unrest.
Rioting and protests lasted in Washington, D.C. from April 4th thru April 8th. In the end, 13 people were killed, around 1000 were injured, and over 6100 individuals were arrested.
Original Caption of this photograph states: “RIOT CONTROL – Rioters standing in gutted shops and on sidewalks harassing policeman and Marines.”
Within a few hours of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, riots had broken out in several cities across the United States. In the Nation’s Capital, where four days earlier King had delivered his sermon at the National Cathedral-“Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution”-14th and U Streets became the center of civil unrest.
Rioting and protests lasted in Washington, D.C. from April 4th thru April 8th. In the end, 13 people were killed, around 1000 were injured, and over 6100 individuals were arrested.
Original Caption of this photograph states: “RIOT CONTROL – Rioters standing in gutted shops and on sidewalks harassing policeman and Marines.”
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Full Citation: 127-N-A556973; Washington, DC Riots; 4/8/1968; General Photograph File of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1927–1981; Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, Record Group 127; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD . [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/washington-dc-riots-shop-owners, October 9, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
