Hello and welcome to this day, a history show from Radiotopia. My name is Jody Avergan.

We are in part two of week 19 of 50 weeks that shaped America. This week we are kind of breaking it into two

distinct but very clearly related stories. Last week, we are kind of breaking it into two distinct but very

clearly related stories. Last episode, we talked about the shooting at Kent State University

and Ohio and how, especially on the back of a very powerful photograph, the nation is shocked.

There are protests around the country, but there is a lot of skepticism and backlash to what student protesters represent.

We talked about how 58% of Americans polled in that moment basically said these kids had it coming.

Now, this episode we cut to New York City about a week later, May 8th and the so-called hard hat riots.

This is where students in New York City are staging massive protests

in response to what they saw play out at Ken State. But in real time, on the street, people

start to push back, especially groups of construction workers who are in downtown Manhattan

and who, you know, come to represent that so-called silent majority that Richard Nixon is

trying to rally around both the Vietnam cause and larger questions about what counts as patriotism

and the American identity in this moment. So let's get into it all here. As always, Nicole

Hammer of Vanderbuk and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley. Hello there. Hello, Jody.

Hey there.

We talked a little bit about Nixon's immediate response to Ken State.

He wakes up from a nap.

He gives a speech in which she basically blames the protesters.

Anything else to say about Nixon before we get to New York City on that faithful day of May 8th?

I mean, I want to talk about how he responds to it all.

He goes nuts.

...