An allusion is a reference to another literary or historical document. Identify two historical documents that MLK alludes to in his “I Have a Dream Speech.”
In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr. makes allusions to two historical documents:
1. The Emancipation Proclamation: MLK alludes to the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. In his speech, MLK mentions that despite the promise of freedom made by this document, African Americans were still facing racial injustice and segregation, emphasizing the unfinished business of equality.
2. The United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence: MLK alludes to these foundational documents of American democracy, which espouse the principles of equality, justice, and liberty for all. He criticizes the nation for not living up to its own ideals and urges the country to fulfill its constitutional and moral obligations to end discrimination and racial injustice.