Lincoln's “Gettysburg Address” and MLK’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” are considered seminal documents because they articulate core principles of democracy and civil rights. Their messages influenced future generations and shaped American identity.
Lincoln's purpose in writing the “Gettysburg Address” was to honor the fallen soldiers and to redefine the war as a struggle for equality and a new birth of freedom.
MLK’s purpose in writing his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was to defend nonviolent resistance to racism and to explain the urgency of civil rights activism.
A central theme in Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” is the idea of national unity and the importance of equality.
A central theme in MLK’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is the necessity of justice and the moral imperative to confront injustice actively.