RIGHTING CIVIL WRONGS - THE GUAM CONGRESS WALKOUT OF 1949

In 1949 members of the Guam Congress House of Assembly executed a walk out from their chambers. As an event that protested the inadequacy of Guam's political status and promoted US citizenship and civil governme nt for the people of Guam, the walkout served as the climax of a half century of Chamorro political resistance. In viewing the circumstances leading up to the walkout, this article draws out political and socia l issues of disquiet preceding the 1950 Organic Act. Proceedings of Gu am Congress sessions and documents of the naval government of Guam are surveyed in reaching conclusions concerning the historical and contem porary significance of the walkout.