Thomas Jefferson vs. Martin Luther King Jr. free essay sample

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He is known as the civil rights leader who said â€Å"I have a dream†. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an African-American leader who supported social changes through nonviolent means. He had great spiritual strength and was a powerful speaker. As a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, at Boston University and at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, he had deepened his understanding of theological scholarship and of Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent strategy for social change.He was pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama form 1954-1959. In 1963 he was helping organize the March on Washington, he had gathered more than 200,000 protestors at which he made his famous speech â€Å"I have a Dream†. After a nonviolent protest against racial discrimination he had addressed a â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† to his fellow clergyman. Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King Jr. We will write a custom essay sample on Thomas Jefferson vs. Martin Luther King Jr. or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page are two American men that were key leaders during very controversial periods in U. S. history, and they were instrumental in movements that forever changed American society.Although their generations, cultures, backgrounds, and motives were quite different, their cause was relatively the same. It was a cause that stood against injustice, oppression, and sought the freedom of all men. Their beliefs and struggles were evident in their writings. Two of the most famous writings in particular are Declaration of Independence and Letter from Birmingham Jail. Both writings are very effective and successful in reaching out to their intended audience. However, Letter from Birmingham Jail is more effective in communicating its purpose to its audience.This was done in a time when black men and women were systematically and violently denied a platform from which they could publicly voice their issues to the nation. â€Å"Declaration of Independence† and â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was written during controversial times, never the less, they established a justified purpose in the hearts of the men who were privileged to read them. However, the true integrity behind the purpose of writing is measured by looking at the men who wrote them and their way of life. Both men were very intelligent and educated men of high moral and religious character.However, one would question the integrity of a person that claims that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and on the other hand, lives his life as a slave owner. The freedom and equality of slaves with whites, was never considered in the writing of the Declaration because slavery was very much a part of all of the colonies when that document was written. In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King, Jr. they are both honorable man who have served our country for freedom.