Kent State Kent State MassacreMassacre

The anti-war protests of the The anti-war protests of the counterculture through out the week counterculture through out the week

leading up to May 4leading up to May 4thth , 1970 pushed the , 1970 pushed the government to their breaking point government to their breaking point

resulting in the Ohio National Guard resulting in the Ohio National Guard firing upon unarmed college students at firing upon unarmed college students at

Kent State UniversityKent State University

Kent State MassacreKent State Massacre

Occured on May Occured on May 44thth, 1970. At Kent , 1970. At Kent State University in State University in Kent, OhioKent, Ohio

Also known as the Also known as the May 4May 4thth Massacre Massacre and the Kent State and the Kent State ShootingsShootings

What was the Kent State What was the Kent State Massacre?Massacre?

The shooting of The shooting of unarmed unarmed college college students by the students by the Ohio National Ohio National Guard in Guard in response to a response to a protest against protest against the invasion of the invasion of Cambodia Cambodia during the during the Vietnam WarVietnam War

How Many Students Died How Many Students Died Or Were Wounded?Or Were Wounded?

Four students died: Four students died: Allison Krause, Jeffrey Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Miller, Sandra Scheuer, William Scheuer, William Schroeder.Schroeder.

Nine students were Nine students were injured, one of whom injured, one of whom was parayzedwas parayzed

The Specifics Of the The Specifics Of the ShootingsShootings

Shootings Shootings lasted 13 lasted 13 seconds seconds

67 shots 67 shots were firedwere fired

Leading Up to the Leading Up to the Shootings…Shootings…

On April 30On April 30thth President President Nixon announced that Nixon announced that the military would the military would invade Cambodiainvade Cambodia

The reaction of the The reaction of the students at Kent State students at Kent State was much like that of was much like that of other students around other students around the countrythe country

Students held a protest Students held a protest on May 1, 1970 at the on May 1, 1970 at the Victory Bell on the Victory Bell on the campus of Kent Statecampus of Kent State

Started of as a Started of as a peaceful demonstrationpeaceful demonstration

Leading Up to the Leading Up to the Shootings…Shootings…

Progressed later that night into an anti-Progressed later that night into an anti-war rally in downtown Kent as students war rally in downtown Kent as students left the barsleft the bars

Students set a bonfire in the street, threw Students set a bonfire in the street, threw bottles at police and broke windowsbottles at police and broke windows

The mayor of Kent, Leroy Satron, The mayor of Kent, Leroy Satron, declared a state of emergency declared a state of emergency

Police used tear gas and batons to get the Police used tear gas and batons to get the students back to campusstudents back to campus

Saturday, May 2ndSaturday, May 2nd

The mayor instituted a dusk to dawn The mayor instituted a dusk to dawn curfew and students were restricted to curfew and students were restricted to campuscampus

There were rumors that the ROTC There were rumors that the ROTC Building was going to be a target of Building was going to be a target of militant students (in the first 2 weeks militant students (in the first 2 weeks of May, 30 ROTC Buildings were of May, 30 ROTC Buildings were burned on campuses across the nation)burned on campuses across the nation)

The mayor alerted the Ohio National The mayor alerted the Ohio National Guard but did not tell the Kent State Guard but did not tell the Kent State officialsofficials

Saturday, May 2ndSaturday, May 2nd An anti-war march An anti-war march

began around 8 p.m.began around 8 p.m. 2000 students marched 2000 students marched

to the ROTC Buildingto the ROTC Building Windows were broken Windows were broken

and someone set fire to and someone set fire to the buildingthe building

Firemen were called Firemen were called but students attacked but students attacked the firemen/hoses the firemen/hoses

Police surrounded the Police surrounded the building and used tear building and used tear gas to disperse the gas to disperse the studentsstudents

Sunday, May 3rdSunday, May 3rd

Kent State was fully occupied by the Kent State was fully occupied by the Ohio National GuardOhio National Guard

The governor of Ohio, James Rhodes, The governor of Ohio, James Rhodes, gave a speech on campus saying that gave a speech on campus saying that they would use whatever force they would use whatever force needed to drive the protesters out of needed to drive the protesters out of KentKent

The National Guard was told they The National Guard was told they could shoot if it was necessarycould shoot if it was necessary

Sunday, May 3rdSunday, May 3rd Again at 8 p.m. a crowd gathered Again at 8 p.m. a crowd gathered

around the Victory Bellaround the Victory Bell The National Guard issued a new curfew The National Guard issued a new curfew

and ordered the crowd to disperseand ordered the crowd to disperse The crowd refused The crowd refused Tear gas was fired from helicopters Tear gas was fired from helicopters Students moved and staged a sit-in Students moved and staged a sit-in Students wanted an explanation from Students wanted an explanation from

the mayor on why the Ohio National the mayor on why the Ohio National Guard was thereGuard was there

Sunday, May 3rdSunday, May 3rd

The mayor agreed to meet with The mayor agreed to meet with students only if they went back to students only if they went back to campuscampus

When they returned to campus the When they returned to campus the National Guard again shot tear gas National Guard again shot tear gas from helicopters at the students from helicopters at the students

They were then beaten with bayonets They were then beaten with bayonets and some were stabbed as they were and some were stabbed as they were herded back into their dormsherded back into their dorms

Monday, May 4thMonday, May 4th The Ohio National Guard The Ohio National Guard

was not allowing any mass was not allowing any mass gatherings of students on gatherings of students on campuscampus

Around noon a group of Around noon a group of about 1500 students about 1500 students gathered on the commons gathered on the commons to protest the invasion of to protest the invasion of Cambodia and the Cambodia and the presence of the National presence of the National GuardGuard

Students were told to Students were told to disperse disperse

When they wouldn’t the When they wouldn’t the general ordered the general ordered the guardsmen to disperse guardsmen to disperse themthem

Monday, May 4thMonday, May 4th Knowing that students had been injured Knowing that students had been injured

during the skirmish the night before the during the skirmish the night before the students began to flee the attacking students began to flee the attacking guardsmenguardsmen

The guardsmen followed firing tear gasThe guardsmen followed firing tear gas Some students threw the tear gas backSome students threw the tear gas back Students reached a parking lot where they Students reached a parking lot where they

began throwing stones at the guards who began throwing stones at the guards who had stopped their advancement at the had stopped their advancement at the football field. football field.

The guards began to throw the stones backThe guards began to throw the stones back

Monday, May 4thMonday, May 4th General Canterbury General Canterbury

ordered the guard back ordered the guard back because the crowd had because the crowd had been dispersedbeen dispersed

As Troop G was As Troop G was retreating about a retreating about a dozen or so soldiers dozen or so soldiers turned and fired their turned and fired their guns into the crowd in guns into the crowd in the parking lotthe parking lot

67 shots in 13 seconds; 67 shots in 13 seconds; 9 injured and four dead 9 injured and four dead

The AftermathThe Aftermath Hundreds of Hundreds of

universities, colleges, universities, colleges, and high schools shut and high schools shut down due to a nation down due to a nation wide strike of studentswide strike of students

The shootings have The shootings have become a symbol of the become a symbol of the Vietnam War protestsVietnam War protests

Crosby, Stills, Nash Crosby, Stills, Nash &Young wrote “Ohio” &Young wrote “Ohio” which was a response to which was a response to the Kent State the Kent State MassacreMassacre

Legal AftermathLegal Aftermath In court the case against eight In court the case against eight

guardsmen was dismissed because it guardsmen was dismissed because it was ruled that there was not enough was ruled that there was not enough evidence to prove they didn’t act in self-evidence to prove they didn’t act in self-defensedefense

The Ohio National Guard never released The Ohio National Guard never released an apology, however they issued a an apology, however they issued a statement that said the shootings should statement that said the shootings should not have happened but because of prior not have happened but because of prior events the guardsmen felt their lives events the guardsmen felt their lives were in danger were in danger

Conflicting ViewsConflicting Views General says they General says they

were fired upon by were fired upon by a snipera sniper

Guardsmen say Guardsmen say they fired in self-they fired in self-defense and they defense and they were in fear of were in fear of their livestheir lives

Students say the Students say the crowd had dispersedcrowd had dispersed

They were going They were going back to their dorms back to their dorms and classesand classes

They posed no They posed no threat threat

Guardsmen Guardsmen conspired to shoot conspired to shoot before they reached before they reached the top of the hillthe top of the hill

Works CitedWorks Cited Brewster, Todd, and Peter Jennings. Brewster, Todd, and Peter Jennings. The Century for Young PeopleThe Century for Young People. New . New

York, New York: Random House, Inc., 1999. York, New York: Random House, Inc., 1999.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970). Ohio [Recorded by Crosby, Stills, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970). Ohio [Recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash Nash & Young]. On & Young]. On CSNYCSNY [CD]. Los Angeles, California: Broken Arrow [CD]. Los Angeles, California: Broken Arrow Music.Music.

Ferrell, R. H. (Ed.). (1984). Ferrell, R. H. (Ed.). (1984). The Twentieth Century An AlmanacThe Twentieth Century An Almanac. New York, . New York, New New      York: World Almanac Publications.      York: World Almanac Publications.

Hensley, T. R., & Lewis, J. M. (n.d.). Hensley, T. R., & Lewis, J. M. (n.d.). The May 4th Shootings At Kent State The May 4th Shootings At Kent State            University: The Search for Historical AccuracyUniversity: The Search for Historical Accuracy. Retrieved May 25, . Retrieved May 25, 2009, 2009,            from Sociology Department of Kent State Web site: from Sociology Department of Kent State Web site: http://dept.kent.edu/ http://dept.kent.edu/      sociology/lewis/lewihen.htm sociology/lewis/lewihen.htm

Kent State 1970: Description of Events May 1 through May 4. (n.d.). Kent State 1970: Description of Events May 1 through May 4. (n.d.). Kent Kent May 4 May 4           CenterCenter. Retrieved May 25, 2009, from http://www.may4.org/?q=node/5 . Retrieved May 25, 2009, from http://www.may4.org/?q=node/5