Final answer:
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail' to respond to criticisms from white clergymen, justify the movement's tactics, and urge for immediate action against unjust laws, particularly emphasizing nonviolent civil disobedience as a necessary strategy.
Step-by-step explanation:
King's primary reasons for writing the 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail' were to respond to criticism he had received from white clergymen, to explain the reasons for his choices of nonviolent protest, to gain the support of other ministers, and to justify the civil rights movement's tactics of direct action. While King was not directly asking for help with organizing a protest, his letter served to reinforce the need for immediate, collective action against unjust laws.
The objections raised by the White clergymen that King addressed in his letter involved the civil rights movement's use of nonviolent civil disobedience. These clergymen believed that such actions were unwise and untimely, arguing that racial integration and equality should happen gradually. King, however, affirmed in his letter the urgency of the movement, emphasizing that 'justice too long delayed is justice denied' and criticized those who did not actively support the civil rights cause.
At the time of writing, King was under significant intimidation and distress, having been placed in solitary confinement. His letter is a persuasive text designed to counter the arguments of the clergymen and to articulate a moral foundation for the civil rights movement's demands for immediate action.