On February 18, 1970, the Chicago Seven were acquitted of all major charges. What were they charged with?

The summer of 1968 was a flashpoint in American history, with widespread protests against the Vietnam War. When the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago that August, thousands of demonstrators descended on the city. The week was marked by violent and televised confrontations between protesters and the Chicago police, an event later described in an official report as a "police riot." The federal government, however, viewed the events as a deliberate disruption organized by radical leaders.

Following the convention, eight prominent anti-war activists were indicted by a grand jury. The group, which included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Tom Hayden, became known as the Chicago Seven after the case of Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale was severed from the trial. They were charged under a new federal law with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intent to incite a riot. The trial itself became a spectacle, symbolizing the deep cultural and political divisions in the country.

On February 18, 1970, the jury acquitted all seven defendants of the serious conspiracy charge. However, five of the seven were found guilty on the lesser charge of individually inciting a riot. These convictions were later overturned by an appellate court, which cited the judge's overt bias and other procedural errors, effectively clearing the defendants of all charges from the chaotic events of 1968.