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Events That Have Shaped America

Decent Essays

Many events that occurred in the 1960s to late 1970s are important factors as to how Americans view their country and society as they know it today. Events like the creation of the Internet in 1969, or the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Watergate in 1973, and even the 26th Amendment in 1971 are very substantial to the formation of America and how they deal with certain situations (“7.01 Timeline”). However, the most important factor that has shaped America is Martin Luther King Jr. Born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929, he was the son of Martin Luther King Sr.a Baptist pastor there. Martin also attended Booker T. Washington High School and Morehouse College. Martin Luther King Jr. is also most famous for his speech on the …show more content…

would not be seen involved in any boycotts or protest but after taking part in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, several civil activist elected him president of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). The Montgomery Bus Boycott was the MIA’s idea of boycotting the buses and all other types of transportation in protest to Rosa Park’s arrest (“Martin Luther”). This protest started the chain of events that would change how Americans see society and how it is structured. Near the end of the boycott, pastors from eleven southern states met at Martin’s Church, the Ebenezer Baptist Church. They wanted to create a permanent organization of African American Ministers to create civil rights activities and protest in the South. This organization became widely known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) (“Martin Luther”). The purpose of this organization was to create something of a safe haven for African Americans, in hope that they would not feel defenseless. King connected with other members of the SCLS and created a plan that would present himself as the most influential man in the 1960 - the March on Washington with A. Philip Randolph on August 28, 1963. At the end of this March, several SCLC members and Civil Rights Leaders including himself, gave speeches to an enormous crowd on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (“Martin Luther”). These speeches laid down the most important stepping stones to changing how Americans …show more content…

He just applied himself to his studies and worked his way up into a successful man. King had similar upbringing just like other kids around him, the only difference was the occupations of his parentals. His mother was a schoolteacher and his father was a Southern Baptist Minister, this did not leave him with many advantages. (“Bio.com”). He must have struggled in other subjects and skills. No one was perfect, even the pastor’s son. Even though his education was influenced by religion, as well as how he was raised, he decided at an early age to pursue a career in medicine or law. However, after attending Morehouse College, he became determined to become a Minister like his father (“Martin Luther”). Martin grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as thousands of other African American children. He was just one out of thousands that could have made a difference. Every child goes through hard times, and King was no exception.Once King decided to follow his father’s footsteps and study to be a Minister,he graduated Morehouse College in 1948 he applied to Crozer Theological Seminary.(“Martin Luther”). At this point in American History, not many African Americans had the finances to attend

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