▁Me ach am ▁writes ▁that , ▁" With ▁a ▁single ▁phrase , ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr . ▁joined ▁Jefferson ▁and ▁Lincoln ▁in ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁men ▁who ' ve ▁sh aped ▁modern ▁America ". ▁The ▁speech ▁was ▁ranked ▁the ▁top ▁American ▁speech ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁poll ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁of ▁public ▁address . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁March ▁on ▁Washington ▁for ▁Job s ▁and ▁Fre edom ▁was ▁partly ▁intended ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁mass ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁civil ▁rights ▁legisl ation ▁proposed ▁by ▁President ▁Kennedy ▁in ▁June . ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁and ▁other ▁leaders ▁therefore ▁agreed ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁speech es ▁calm , ▁also , ▁to ▁avoid ▁prov oking ▁the ▁civil ▁dis ob ed ience ▁which ▁had ▁become ▁the ▁hall mark ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement . ▁King ▁originally ▁designed ▁his ▁speech ▁as ▁a ▁hom age ▁to ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ' s ▁G ett ys burg ▁Address , ▁tim ed ▁to ▁correspond ▁with ▁the ▁cent enn ial ▁of ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation . ▁ ▁Spe ech ▁title ▁and ▁the ▁writing ▁process ▁King ▁had ▁been ▁pre aching ▁about ▁dream s ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁gave ▁a ▁speech ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Association ▁for ▁the ▁Ad van cement ▁of ▁Col ored ▁People ▁( NA AC P ) ▁called ▁" The ▁Neg ro ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁Dream ". ▁This ▁speech ▁discuss es ▁the ▁gap ▁between ▁the ▁American ▁dream ▁and ▁reality , ▁saying ▁that ▁over t ▁white ▁supre mac