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Answer key:U.S. History

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Thinking About Martyrs

The word “martyr” is defined as a person who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause or principle. There are countless examples of martyrs in both U.S. and world history. In the space below, identify a person who most people would consider to be a martyr. Be sure to include the person’s name and a brief description of their cause and the suffering that he/she endured.

Martyr’s Name / Cause for which they fought / Suffering they endured
Dr. Martin Luther King / He fought for racial equality in the United States (through non-violent, direct action) / Thrown in jail, had life threatened countless times, eventually assassinated

View the short clip and answer the following questions…

In Star Wars, Episode IV, a battle takes place between two Jedi Knights: the evil Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi. As they are fighting, Obi-Wan says to Darth Vader, “strike me down and I will become more powerful than you ever imagined.” How does that line connect to the idea of “martyrs”?

Sometimes, when an important person is killed, they become a symbol for their cause – the memory of that person encourages others to continue to fight for their cause.

Oftentimes martyrs continue to further their cause even after they have died. The martyr becomes a powerful symbol for the cause that they worked so hard for during their life. Is this true of the martyr that you identified above? Explain why or why not in the space provided.

I think that Martin Luther King (did ) further his cause after his/her death because: we still remember and celebrate the memory of Dr. King today. People today are still inspired by his words and they continue to fight for his dream of ending racial inequality in the USA.