The 1972 Democratic National Convention was the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party for the 1972 presidential election. It was held at Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida on July 10–13, 1972. Lawrence F. O'Brien served as permanent chairman of the convention, while Yvonne Braithwaite Burke served as vice-chair, becoming the first African American to hold that position.
It nominated Senator George McGovern of South Dakota for President and Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri for Vice President. Eagleton later withdrew from the race when it was disclosed that he had undergone mental health treatment, including electroshock therapy, in the past, and he was replaced on the ballot by Sargent Shriver of Maryland.
The convention itself was one of the most unusual in recent American history—perhaps the most contentious convention in the history of the Democratic Party since 1924 – with sessions beginning in the early evening and lasting until sunrise the next morning, and previously excluded political activists gaining influence at the expense of elected officials and traditional core Democratic constituencies such as organized labor. A protracted vice presidential nominating process delayed McGovern's acceptance speech until the early hours of the morning, after most television viewers had gone to bed. Hunter S. Thompson covered this convention in detail in several articles and in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72.
Read more about 1972 Democratic National Convention: Delegate Selection, Running Mate, Delegate Vote For Presidential Nomination, Delegate Vote For Vice-presidential Nomination
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