About This Resource
The Lincoln Memorial's wide marble stairs descending from the monument to the Reflecting Pool have served as one of America's most important stages for public gathering and protest. Most famously, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech from these steps in 1963 during the March on Washington. The steps have hosted presidential inaugurations, protests, celebrations, and historical moments. The physical elevation of the memorial and its stairs creates a natural amphitheater and places speakers in symbolic position above crowds. The Lincoln Memorial steps demonstrate how monumental stairs serve functions far beyond circulation, becoming stages for democracy and platforms for social change.
