The Mall: An Outdoor Classroom

The Trust for the National Mall has made a commitment to preserving and sharing the living history of the Mall, so that future generations will understand the importance of this iconic national park.

 

American history has been made on the National Mall and is reflected in the 3,000 events held on the Mall each year. In 1922, President Abraham  Lincoln's son attended the dedication of the memorial to his father, who guided this country through the Civil War. In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of that very same memorial. In 1969, the largest protest of the Vietnam War occured on the National Mall, just feet from where the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1982. And every four years Americans from across the country gather here to welcome the incoming President of the United States.