Inside the Vault: The March on Washington
by Gilder Lehrman Staff
On August 28, 1963, 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The event was covered by approximately 3,000 members of the press. The documents discussed illustrate the logistics for people who attended and press coverage following the event. The documents include
- Flyers containing logistical information for attendees
- Pacific Stars & Stripes coverage of the March on Washington
- an NAACP report about the March
Jermain Corbin, a history educator from South Boston, and Bryson Bruce from the cast of Hamilton joined us for the June 3, 2021, Inside the Vault as we examined materials related to the organization of the March on Washington as well as the subsequent press coverage.
Click here to download the slides from the presentation.
Classroom-ready resources for the documents presented
- Pacific Stars and Stripes
- Medical Committee for Civil Right’s Pamphlet on the March on Washington
- Video: The March on Washington: A Virtual Tour by Clayborne Carson
- Essay: “The Civil Rights Movement: Major Events and Legacies” by James T. Patterson
- Essay: “Civil Right Leadership and the 1964 Civil Rights Act” by Clarence Taylor
Use the timestamps below to jump to the topics you want to view
- Medical Committee for Civil Rights: 5:52–11:30
- NAACP Pamphlet: 11:30–15:04
- Speeches: 15:04–33:55
- NAACP Pamphlet: 33:58–41:41
- Pacific Stars and Stripes: 41:41–47:43
- NAACP Pamphlet: 47:44–51:19