March on Washington
The March on Washington for jobs and freedom took place in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. Nobody knew how many people would attend the demonstration. Many were harassed and threatened during their journey to Washington. Attended by some 250,000 people (quarter of whom were white), it was the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation's capital. The march was a peaceful one. The march was intensely covered by media, with even live international television coverage. The march ended at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where musical performances and speeches were performed. One noteworthy speech was Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. He started with prepared remarks, saying he was there to "cash a check" for "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," while warning other followers to not "allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence". He then shifted toward the "I Have a Dream " theme, speaking of both the American Dream and religious themes. His "I Have a Dream" speech is considered to be among the greatest speeches of American history.