“I Have a Dream”: Successful Rhetoric

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a riveting speech in our country’s capitol, Washington, DC. The goal of this was to unite the already devoted social activists, as well as to inform the white people of the nation of the issues colored people face and their desire for equality and peace. This address was presented in front of more than 200,000 people and has gone down in history as one of the most influential pieces of rhetoric in our homeland’s development. In this speech, Martin Luther King Jr. is trying to persuade white people to treat Blacks equal by alluding to the Gettysburg Address.
In his address, Dr. King uses the rhetorical devise of allusion to persuade his audience. He refers to the great and moving speech made by President Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address, which was given to put an end to the Civil War. He begins this allusion by stating, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” This is clearly a reference to President Lincoln and his efforts to achieve equal rights for all human beings. Dr. King uses the same lingo as President Lincoln to show that he is arguing on behalf of the same goals as this well respected and admired president. It also echoes the same importance that the Gettysburg Address held. It was a time of great renegotiation of the social contract in the United States. During the Civil War, that little speech bought about so much change; likewise, the speech given by Dr. King was perceived by the audience to be just as revolutionary as the one given by Abraham Lincoln. Referring to that famous sermon given at Gettysburg also developed the ethos of Martin Luther King; it showed that he was a well-read and very educated man.
The allusions to the Civil War and to the Gettysburg Address were a very effective rhetorical strategy used by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to convince his audience. The comparison to the Gettysburg Address forced the people to look back and remember the important things said that day and to apply them to this new situation. It also increased the audiences feeling about the importance of the address made by Dr. King. His rhetorical tactics were fair and ethical and saw a great deal of success.