From wondering, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scandal.

Today we wrap up our series on the Chicago 7, a story involving one of the most explosive

trials of the 20th century. From the beginning, the case was hotly contested. In the summer of 1968,

thousands of protesters had converged on Chicago for that year's Democratic National Convention.

The demonstration was billed as an attempt to pressure Democrats into dropping their support

for the Vietnam War. But after clashes broke out with police, a group of activists was charged

with federal crimes, including conspiring to inciter riot. The defendants claimed the charges

were politically motivated, and in the trial that followed they engaged in courtroom theatrics

and openly sparred with the judge, claiming he was doing the bidding of the prosecution.

Outside the courtroom, the Chicago 7 prompted a national debate about a number of contentious

political issues, including free speech, and the balance between civil liberties and law in order.

These are issues that, according to my guest historian Michael Kason, have not only remained unresolved,

but are now central pillars in the culture war still dividing America.

Kason is a professor of history at Georgetown University. He's the author of multiple books

about American politics, including American Dreamers, how the left changed a nation,

and what it took to win a history of the Democratic Party.

In our conversation, we'll discuss why the 1960s were such an unusual period in American history,

and how the fights and social movements that emerged from that decade are still shaping our world

today. Our conversation is next.

Hello, I'm Hannah. And I'm Sirete. And we are the hosts of a Red Handed,

a weekly True Crime Podcast. Every week on Red Handed, we get stuck into the most

talked about cases. From the Idaho student killings, the Delphi murders, and our recent rundown

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