Annotated Bibliography: I Have A Dream By Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. is a name that will never be forgotten, and that will go down in the books for all of time. He was foremost a civil rights activist throughout the 1950s and 1960s. during his lifetime, which lasted from January of 1929 to April of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and a social activist and was known for his non- violent protests. He believed that all people, no matter the color, have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take a direct action rather than waiting forever for justice to come through and finally be resolved.

In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. protested the racial segregation in Birmingham and got arrested. While he was in jail he read a newspaper and 8 white clergymen stated their opinion of him. That inspired his Letter From Birmingham Jail. After he got out he continued to protest and  he wrote his I Have a Dream Speech. He spoke in front of about 10,000 people in Washington DC. in 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke his I Have a Dream Speech to try and grab the attention to anyone willing to listen. He did that to try and get the rights that the African American people deserve but don’t get. He also wrote his Letter From Birmingham Jail on April 6, 1963 to 8 white clergymen to reply to what they said about him for protesting racial segregation. They said that what he was doing was “unwise and untimely.” Both of the pieces writing had logos which is a logical appeal and pathos which is emotional appeal.  In this essay I will compare the two pieces of writing that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote and how he used logos and pathos in both pieces.

In 1775, American Colonists were Satisfied about their relationship with Britain. Some people were still hoping that the colonists would work out the disagreements. Others, like Patrick Henry, thought the only thing left to do was to go to war with Britain. Patrick Henry was known for his speeches supporting the American Democracy. Henry uses rhetorical appeals, such as, ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech to the "Virginia Convention."

Convincing people of something or to do something is not an easy task but Patrick Henry's “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention” shows how well someone can persuade people when they trust you, appeal to their emotions, or back up what you are saying with facts...ethos, pathos, and logos. The purpose of this speech is to persuade the colonist to fight against the british. Patrick is talking to the members of the virginia convention and what they need to do to become free.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a very empowering speech in August 28, 1963 and an informative letter in the margins of a newspaper on April 16, 1963. Dr. King took his time to speak out for every African Americans rights, that made him known as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. The speech that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wrote “I have a Dream” gives a pathos feel, building ups emotions towards real equality for each and every person, and not just separate, but equal living conditions. It also gives a logos appeal. The speech also called for Civil and Economic Rights. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that Dr. King wrote was to create a logos appeal and pathos appeal as well. It defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance as he writes his letter to his fellow clergymen.

Patrick Henry played a major role in leading the fight against British power in America. Henry was a lawyer by profession, but also an outstanding rhetorician. He helped liberate and found America in any way he could, including serving as a member of the Virginia committee of Correspondence, serving as a delegate to the Virginia Convention, and a delegate to the Virginia Constitution Ratification Convention. He was also commissioned as a colonel in 1775. Patrick Henry gave the famed “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, which displayed his fervent desire for America’s freedom from British oppression. That powerful speech compelled many men to bear arms and defend their colonies from the British. He is a symbol of liberty and a great example

Patrick Henry was a major component to the American Revolution because of his fight and determination for independence. Henry used ethos and pathos to emphasize on how important freedom was. He took the emotions and trust of the colonist and used them as

Patrick Henry was the first governor for the state of Virginia, and also a major figure in the American Revolution. Henry was not very educated, but he had skills that pushed him to leadership in the Revolutionary era. As a member of the House of Burgesses, Henry opposed the 1765 Stamp Act. He helped organize Virginia’s first Committee of Correspondence and served as a representative to the First and Second Continental Congress.

Would you get tired of someone always trying to dictate your every move and step? Well the Americans did with the British but none was brave enough to fight back. However, Patrick Henry gave a speech at the Virginia Convention to try and persuade the members of the Virginia Convention to rebel against the British. Patrick Henry's speech at the Virginia Convention was a motivational speech that got the people to think about fighting the British. Henry used a very persuasive technique that made people reconsider their decision. The most effective technique Patrick Henry used was pathos to appeal to the members of the Virginia Convention emotions.

The revolutionary speeches composed of by Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine both have common goals in terms of the changes that they want made to the way of life for all Americans. The technique and manner in which the two conduct their speeches are significantly different, though. Patrick Henry’s speech is mainly to persuade the Virginia Convention to be more assertive toward the British government, and to prepare for war if the convention's voice was not acknowledged by them. Thomas Paine’s speech, “The Crisis: Number 1”, was also to written to persuade the American people. The speech’s main purpose is to persuade people to fight for their freedom.

“The speech to the Virginia Convention”, is one of the most revolutionizing speeches in America. This speech is saying that people should not let Great Britain taunt us and we should rise in rebellion. Patrick Henry continues to say he would die for his country. Patrick Henry’s use of logos greatly defines his passion to make America Independent as it once was.

Martin Luther King, Jr was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. Martin was the middle child of Michael King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Martin Luther King grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended a small public school at the age of 5. In the year 1936, Martin

In the profound speech, "I have a dream" by Martin Luther King Jr. there is a quote from the book of Amos. Amos 5:24 says, "But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

“Let freedom ring.” Freedom is all something we all value in life; unfortunately, it wasn’t just handed to all of us. In “I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King Jr. tries to convince all of America that everyone should be treated with equality. This address is very compelling because it uses tone, repetition, and allusion to convey a point using both compassion and power. The first paragraph references to the Declaration of Independence and our unalienable rights as Americans, trying to argue his point. Next, MLK uses a great amount of wisdom to show that his people are in need of aid from the powers of our country. Finally, he demonstrates emphasis to strengthen his point even further. No speech can be complete without an emotional tie to a historical event, and that is exactly what Martin Luther King Jr. did best.

In 1963, Martin Luther King delivered one of the most influential and impactful speeches in history. King's I Have a Dream speech was consistently powerful assertions of emotional appeals, repetition and paradox.