Read the excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream” speech. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. The emotional connotation of the underlined word helps King emphasize the document’s
The word “momentous” means very important or consequential. Calling the Emancipation Proclamation momentous emphasizes how significant the document was, especially because it brought hope to millions of enslaved people. It is not mainly describing the document’s history, creativity, or timing.
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