The Baltimore riot of 1968 was one of more than 100 urban uprisings triggered by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., requiring federal military intervention.
Key Facts
- Duration
- April 6–14, 1968
- Immediate cause
- Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., April 4, 1968
- National Guard troops deployed
- Thousands called out by Governor Spiro Agnew
- Maryland State Police deployed
- 500 officers
- Cities affected nationwide
- Over 100 cities across the United States
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. The killing sparked immediate grief and outrage across the United States, igniting civil unrest in more than 100 cities. Baltimore was among the cities where tensions rapidly escalated into open rebellion in the days following the assassination.
From April 6 to April 14, 1968, Baltimore experienced widespread civil unrest, with crowds filling streets, burning and looting businesses, and confronting police and National Guard troops. Governor Spiro Agnew mobilized thousands of National Guard troops and 500 Maryland State Police to suppress the uprising, which became part of the broader Holy Week Uprising.
When state and local forces proved unable to control the unrest, Governor Agnew formally requested federal troops from President Lyndon B. Johnson, marking a significant escalation of the government response. The riots underscored deep racial and social tensions in Baltimore and contributed to broader national debates about urban inequality and civil rights in the late 1960s.
Political Outcome
Federal troops were deployed after state forces failed to suppress the uprising; unrest ended by April 14, 1968.