# The Founding Documents Were a Promissory Note to Every American by Martin Luther King Jr > “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” > **— Martin Luther King Jr.**, *“I Have a Dream,” August 28, 1963* ## Sources and Context - **Direct transcript:** Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, [“March on Washington”](https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/publications/autobiography-martin-luther-king-jr/chapter-20-march-washington), reproducing the speech delivered in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. - **Authoritative corroboration:** The U.S. National Archives describes the founding documents in King's words as [“a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir”](https://visit.archives.gov/whats-on/explore-exhibits/magna-carta-records-rights). - **Article use:** [[articles/war with empire/Authorship of the West|Authorship of the West]] invokes the promissory-note passage as an example of using the American charter to judge American practice. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/War With Empire|War With Empire]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/war with empire/Authorship of the West|Authorship of the West]] - **Article:** [[articles/How Europe's Refuse Built the Apex Civilization Called America|How Europe's Refuse Built the Apex Civilization Called America]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Charter Civilization|Charter Civilization]] - [[wiki/Authorship of the West|Authorship of the West]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” — Martin Luther King Jr., “I Have a Dream,” August 28, 1963 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-martin-luther-king-founding-documents-promissory-note ```