Reading Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” | A Primary Source Close Read

How did Martin Luther King, Jr., contribute to American identity?

The Civil Rights Movement sought to win the American promise of liberty and equality during the twentieth-century. From the early struggles of the 1940s to the crowning successes of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts that changed the legal status of African-Americans in the United States, the Civil Rights Movement firmly grounded its appeals for liberty and equality in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Rather than rejecting an America that discriminated against a particular race, the movement fought for America to fulfill its own universal promise that “all men are created equal.” The Civil Rights Movement worked for American principles within American institutions rather than against them.

Dive into some of the most important speeches and documents from United States history. These videos dissect these documents, define key terms, and explore the lasting impact of the featured documents.