Wilson Thornton, Jr

Wilson Thornton, Jr was a African-American National Guardsman who was most known for being involved in the 1968 Baltimore Riots. Shorty after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr acts of arson and vanadalism erupted in the city of Baltimore along with many other cities such as Chicago and Washington DC. Thornton and other National Guardsman along with the city and state police were instructed to maintain order within the city. He participated in professional methods of riot control such as enforcing curfews, sealing off streets from traffic, and arressting rioters. He also helped eliminate the sales of alcohol, gasoline, and ammunition for the citizens of Baltimore city during the crisis. The whole operation turned out to be quite successful despite the immense property damage. Many small businesses and housing were destroyed by rioters but due to the help of Thornton and National Guardsman many of them were saved. Businesses such as clubs, hardware, and grocery were recked from all the chaos. It is estimated that 600 people were injured and only 6 were actually killed. The total costs in damages was thought to be around $13,500,000 due to all the fires and vandalism. If it was not for the fast and effective actions of the Thornton and the other National Guardsman these numbers would have been greater. Aressting anyone who was out after curfew or was vandalising was what Thornton had to do. Many people were just randomly running around with televisions and other valuables that had to be stopped and put held in jail for questioning. Thornton was a big help to Baltimore City during one of its biggest crisis to date. The National Guard was certainly a large part in the reorder of the riots of 1968. Thornton is living proof of what most people had tried to forget for so many years.

Footnotes: Motz, Jane. Report on Baltimore Civil Disorders April, 1968. Baltimore: American Friends Service Committee Middle Atlantic Region, October 31, 1968. Law-Womack, Medrika. “A City Afire: The Baltimore City Riot of 1968; Antecedents, Causes and Impact.” Master's thesis, Morgan State University, December 2005. Hilson Jr., Robert. “Arson overwhelms city, leaving officials helpless.” Evening Sun (April 6, 1988).