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March on Washington Timeline
(August 28, 1963)The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a massive peaceful demonstration held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. Organized by civil rights, labor, and religious organizations, it drew approximately 250,000 participants and became one of the largest political rallies for human rights in U.S. history. The march is best remembered as the setting for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic 'I Have a Dream' speech, delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It played a crucial role in building support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. More Less
Historical Background
Reconstruction era ends
1877
After the American Civil War, African Americans were freed from slavery under the Thirteenth Amendment, granted citizenship by the Fourteenth Amendment, and African American men gained full voting rights through the Fifteenth Amendment. However, Democrats regained power after the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and imposed many restrictions on people of color in the South.
Image source: Reconstruction era
Southern states disenfranchise black voters
1900
At the turn of the century, Southern states passed constitutions and laws that disenfranchised most black people and many poor whites, excluding them from the political system.
Image source: Disfranchisement after the Reconstruction era
Civil rights organizers develop march ideas
1901 - 1963
During the 20th century, civil rights organizers began to develop ideas for a march on Washington, D.C., to seek justice.
Image source: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
Marian Anderson's Lincoln Memorial concert
Apr 9, 1939
In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused permission for Marian Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. With support from Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson performed a critically acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Image source: Marian Anderson
Brown v. Board of Education ruling
1954
The Supreme Court ruled that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional in 1954, in Brown v. Board of Education. Immediate elimination of school segregation became one of the demands connected to the civil rights movement.
Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom at Lincoln Memorial
May 17, 1957
Their Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom, held at the Lincoln Memorial on May 17, 1957, featured key leaders including Adam Clayton Powell, Martin Luther King Jr., and Roy Wilkins.
Robert F. Kennedy meets with civil rights leaders
May 24, 1963
On May 24, 1963, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy met with civil rights leaders amid growing national attention to racial inequality. There was a widespread perception that the Kennedy administration had not lived up to its promises in the 1960 election, and King described Kennedy's race policy as "tokenism".
Kennedy's civil rights address
Jun 11, 1963
On June 11, 1963, President Kennedy gave a notable civil rights address on national television and radio, announcing that he would begin to push for civil rights legislation.
Image source: Report to the American People on Civil Rights
Murder of Medgar Evers
Jun 12, 1963
That night (early morning of June 12, 1963), Mississippi activist Medgar Evers was murdered in his own driveway, further escalating national tension around the issue of racial inequality.
Image source: Medgar Evers
Planning and Organization
A. Philip Randolph instigates 1941 march plan
1941
Philip Randolph—the president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, president of the Negro American Labor Council, and vice president of the AFL–CIO—was a key instigator in 1941 of plans for a mass march on Washington.
Image source: A. Philip Randolph
Key Facts
- The March on Washington took place on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
- Approximately 250,000 people attended, making it one of the largest demonstrations in American history at that time.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech during the event.
- The full name of the event was the 'March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,' highlighting both economic and civil rights goals.
- The march helped build momentum for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Source
This March on Washington timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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