Final answer:
Martin Luther King, Jr. and others drew inspiration from numerous sources, including the writings on government and philosophy to achieve civil rights in the United States, including the 'I Have a Dream' speech, works of W.E.B. DuBois, and the philosophy of nonviolent resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Martin Luther King, Jr. and others derived their inspiration from various documents and writings to achieve civil rights in the United States.
One of the key documents that Martin Luther King, Jr. referenced was the I Have a Dream speech, which he delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. In this speech, King expressed his vision for racial equality and justice.
In addition, civil rights leaders drew inspiration from other writings, such as the works of W.E.B. DuBois and the philosophy of nonviolent resistance advocated by Mahatma Gandhi. These writings provided a theoretical framework and inspiration for the civil rights movement.
The documents that provided the philosophical foundation for his and the movement's work include historical texts related to governance and ethics, such as the writings of John Locke, which emphasized the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Moreover, during the classic Civil Rights period, leaders like King were inspired by their critical analyses of societal norms and laws, and they fought to reconcile the divide between the two, as they grappled with both formal and informal Jim Crow laws of the time.