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Martin Luther King I Have a Dream Essay Examples and Topics

Essay Examples
Essay Topics
Brief overview
date
Date

August 29, 1963

author
Author

Martin Luther King Jr.

type
Type

Public speech

genre
Genre
characters
Characters
based-on
Based on
symbols-motives
Symbols / Motives

Civil rights, racism, economic rights

influence
Influence

This is the top-ranked American speech of the 20th century.

plot
Main Information

Martin Luther King Jr. gave the speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This event demonstrated support for President Kennedy’s proposed civil rights legislation. Martin Luter King wrote the speech as a homage to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
In the speech, King mentions the Emancipation Proclamation, the Declaration of Independence, and the United States Constitution as the founding documents for a restored democracy.

purpose
Why is this topic important
idea
Main Ideas

100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, “the Negro still is not free.” King’s speech intends to awaken American citizens to the reality and inspire a real change in society.

quotes
Key Quotes
  • “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!”
  • “The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed and a visionary has his eyes open.”
interesting-facts
Interesting Facts

In 1964, one year after giving the speech, King became the youngest man who ever received the Nobel Peace Prize.

argument-for
Arguments For

The March on Washington really pressured the government to advance stronger civil rights legislation in Congress. It is a simple, powerful speech that gets straight to the point and is driven by raw emotion.

argument-against
Arguments Against

Several Black leaders have criticized King for being too mellow and compromising.

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