essay on civil disobedience henry david thoreau

Entertainment & Pop Culture
Geography & Travel
Health & Medicine
Lifestyles & Social Issues
Philosophy & Religion
Politics, Law & Government
Sports & Recreation
Visual Arts
World History
On This Day in History
Biographies
Top Questions
Week In Review
Infographics
Demystified
Image Galleries
One Good Fact
Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.
#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.
This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.
Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.
Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.
COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.
100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.
Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning. Go ahead. Ask. We won’t mind.
Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them!
SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!

Civil Disobedience

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Learn about this topic in these articles:

…Disobedience” (1849; originally titled “Resistance to Civil Government”), Thoreau expounded his anarchistic views of government, insisting that if an injustice of government is “of such a nature that it requires injustice to another [you should] break the law [and] let your life be a counter friction to stop the…

discussed in biography

…his most famous essay, “Civil Disobedience,” which was first published in May 1849 under the title “Resistance to Civil Government.” The essay received little attention until the 20th century, when it found an eager audience with the American civil rights movement. To many, its message still sounds timely: there…

history of Mexican-American War

Mexican-American War: U.S. declaration of war

…in his famous book-length essay Civil Disobedience (1849), insisting that if an injustice of government is

Henry David Thoreau online

Civil disobedience.

by Henry D. Thoreau

I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe--"That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it. Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure.

This American government--what is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity? It has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend it to his will. It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves. But it is not the less necessary for this; for the people must have some complicated machinery or other, and hear its din, to satisfy that idea of government which they have. Governments show thus how successfully men can be imposed upon, even impose on themselves, for their own advantage. It is excellent, we must all allow. Yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. _It_ does not keep the country free. _It_ does not settle the West. _It_ does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way. For government is an expedient, by which men would fain succeed in letting one another alone; and, as has been said, when it is most expedient, the governed are most let alone by it. Trade and commerce, if they were not made of india-rubber, would never manage to bounce over obstacles which legislators are continually putting in their way; and if one were to judge these men wholly by the effects of their actions and not partly by their intentions, they would deserve to be classed and punished with those mischievious persons who put obstructions on the railroads.

But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not _at once_ no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.

Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" Summary and Analysis

Having spent one night in jail in July of 1846 for refusal to pay his poll tax in protest against slavery and the Mexican War, Thoreau lectured before the Concord Lyceum in January of 1848 on the subject "On the Relation of the Individual to the State." The lecture was published under the title "Resistance to Civil Government" in Elizabeth Peabody's Aesthetic Papers , in May 1849. It was included (as "Civil Disobedience") in Thoreau's A Yankee in Canada, with Anti-Slavery and Reform Papers , published in Boston in 1866 by Ticknor and Fields, and reprinted many times. The essay formed part of Anti-Slavery and Reform Papers as edited by British Thoreau biographer Henry S. Salt and issued in London in 1890. "Civil Disobedience" was included in the Riverside Edition of 1894 (in Miscellanies , the tenth volume), in the Walden and Manuscript Editions of 1906 (in Cape Cod and Miscellanies , the fourth volume), and in the Princeton Edition (in Reform Papers , the third volume) in 1973. One of Thoreau's most influential writings, it has been published separately many times (Walter Harding's The Variorum Civil Disobedience , for example, appeared in 1967), included in volumes of selections from Thoreau (among them the 1937 Modern Library Edition of Walden and Other Writings of Henry David Thoreau , edited by Brooks Atkinson), and translated into European and Asian languages.

Thoreau opens Civil Disobedience with the maxim "That government is best which governs least," and he speaks in favor of government that does not intrude upon men's lives. Government is only an expedient — a means of attaining an end. It exists because the people have chosen it to execute their will, but it is susceptible to misuse. The Mexican War is an example of a few people using the government as their tool. Thoreau asserts that government as an institution hinders the accomplishment of the work for which it was created. It exists for the sole purpose of ensuring individual freedom. Denying an interest in abolishing government, he states that he simply wants a better government. Majority rule is based on physical strength, not right and justice. Individual conscience should rule instead, and civil government should confine itself to those matters suited to decision by majority rule. He deplores the lack of judgment, moral sense, and conscience in the way men serve the state. A man cannot bow unquestioningly to the state's authority without disregarding himself.

Thoreau introduces the right of revolution, which all men recognize, and reflects on the American Revolution, the origins of which he finds less morally compelling than the issues at hand. Having developed the image of the government as a machine that may or may not do enough good to counterbalance what evil it commits, he urges rebellion. The opponents of reform, he recognizes, are not faraway politicians but ordinary people who cooperate with the system. The expression of opposition to slavery is meaningless. Only action — what you do about your objection — matters. Wrong will be redressed only by the individual, not through the mechanism of government. Although Thoreau asserts that a man has other, higher duties than eradicating institutional wrong, he must at least not be guilty through compliance. The individual must not support the structure of government, must act with principle, must break the law if necessary.

Abolition can be achieved by withdrawing support from the government, which may be accomplished practically through the nonpayment of taxes. If imprisonment is the result, there is no shame in it — prison is the best place for a just man in an unjust society. In the current state of affairs, payment of taxes is violent and bloody. Nonpayment constitutes a "peaceable revolution." Thoreau comments on the corrupting influence of money and property, and urges a simple, self-reliant lifestyle as a means of maintaining individual freedom. He describes his experience in the Concord Jail in some detail, commenting upon the folly of the state's treatment of a man as if he were a physical entity only, rather than an intellectual and moral one. A man can be compelled only by one who possesses greater morality. In Civil Disobedience as throughout his other writings, Thoreau focuses on the individual's ultimate responsibility to live deliberately and to extract meaning from his own life; overseeing the machinery of society is secondary.

Thoreau asserts that he does not want to quarrel or to feel superior to others. He wants to conform to the laws of the land, but current laws are not honorable from a higher point of view. Politics and politicians act as though the universe were ruled by expediency. In the progression from absolute monarchy to limited monarchy to democracy, Thoreau observes an evolution in government toward greater expression of the consent of the governed. He notes that democracy may not be the final stage in the process. His emphasis at the end of the essay is firmly on respect for the individual. There will never be a "really free and enlightened State" until the state recognizes the preeminence of the individual.

Previous Major Themes

Next Major Themes

has been added to your

Reading List!

Removing #book# from your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title.

Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# and any corresponding bookmarks?

Suggestions

Please wait while we process your payment

Reset Password

Your password reset email should arrive shortly..

If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.

Something went wrong

By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy .

Don’t have an account? Subscribe now

Create Your Account

Already have an account? Log in

Choose Your Plan

$4.99 /month + tax

$24.99 /year + tax

Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!

Purchasing SparkNotes PLUS for a group?

Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more!

$24.99 $18.74 / subscription + tax

Subtotal $37.48 + tax

Save 25% on 2-49 accounts

Save 30% on 50-99 accounts

Want 100 or more? Contact us for a customized plan.

You'll be billed after your free trial ends.

7-Day Free Trial

Not Applicable

Renews March 9, 2023 March 2, 2023

Discounts (applied to next billing)

SNPLUSROCKS20 | 20% Discount

This is not a valid promo code.

Discount Code (one code per order)

SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at [email protected] . Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.

For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more!

You’ve successfully purchased a group discount. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. You'll also receive an email with the link.

Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership.

Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Continue to start your free trial.

Your PLUS subscription has expired

Civil Disobedience

Henry david thoreau.

Study Guide

Unlock your FREE SparkNotes PLUS trial!

Unlock your free trial.

Thoreau's Civil Disobedience espouses the need to prioritize one's conscience over the dictates of laws. It criticizes American social institutions and policies, most prominently slavery and the Mexican-American War.

Thoreau begins his essay by arguing that government rarely proves itself useful and that it derives its power from the majority because they are the strongest group, not because they hold the most legitimate viewpoint. He contends that people's first obligation is to do what they believe is right and not to follow the law dictated by the majority. When a government is unjust, people should refuse to follow the law and distance themselves from the government in general. A person is not obligated to devote his life to eliminating evils from the world, but he is obligated not to participate in such evils. This includes not being a member of an unjust institution (like the government). Thoreau further argues that the United States fits his criteria for an unjust government, given its support of slavery and its practice of aggressive war.

Thoreau doubts the effectiveness of reform within the government, and he argues that voting and petitioning for change achieves little. He presents his own experiences as a model for how to relate to an unjust government: In protest of slavery, Thoreau refused to pay taxes and spent a night in jail. But, more generally, he ideologically dissociated himself from the government, "washing his hands" of it and refusing to participate in his institutions. According to Thoreau, this form of protest was preferable to advocating for reform from within government; he asserts that one cannot see government for what it is when one is working within it.

Civil Disobedience covers several topics, and Thoreau intersperses poetry and social commentary throughout. For purposes of clarity and readability, the essay has been divided into three sections here, though Thoreau himself made no such divisions.

Popular pages: Civil Disobedience

Review quiz further study, take a study break.

essay on civil disobedience henry david thoreau

QUIZ: Is This a Taylor Swift Lyric or a Quote by Edgar Allan Poe?

The 7 Most Embarrassing Proposals in Literature

The 6 Best and Worst TV Show Adaptations of Books

QUIZ: Which Greek God Are You?

Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau Essay

Civil disobedience by henry david thoreau.

Henry David Thoreau was a very influential writer in the 1800s and still is today. Thoreau was one of America’s “greats” when it came to early American literature. Henry David Thoreau wrote one of the most influential essays entitled Civil Disobedience. This essay was Thoreau’s political statement, it outlined his views on non violent resistance. Civil Disobedience was written during the Mexican War. The Mexican War was a conflict between Mexico and America that was caused by a dispute over the boundary between Texas and Mexico, as well as by Mexico 's refusal to discuss selling California and New Mexico to the United States. Thoreau and many other Americans strongly objected to the war and protested by not paying taxes. During this time, Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience urging people to resist government policies with which they disagree. Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience has influenced many Americans over the years.

Henry Thoreau on Civil Disobedience

The Statue of Liberty is an American symbol of justice and freedom from oppression, yet in Henry Thoreau's opinion, the U.S. government is completely antithetical. In Thoreau’s essay on civil disobedience, he introduces and accepts the motto, “That government is best which governs not at all.” In his eyes, the government does more harm than good for its people. Underneath his seemingly main idea, Thoreau implies an overall antithesis where he defines who, in his eyes, is allowed to be disobedient. In order to advance this main idea and reinforce this mottos throughout the essay, Thoreau uses metaphors and juxtaposition to strengthen this subtle antithesis found throughout the essay.

Analysis Of Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau

After reading “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau, I believe that this historic piece of literature can still have a substantial impact upon the current beliefs of the American people. The reason that this essay has such significance to America is because this essay addresses the proper way to go about civil disobedience in addition to providing education about the nature of civil disobedience. I believe the most significant message that this essay could teach Americans is expressed in this quote, “A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority.” This quote expresses the need to not just believe in a cause but to actively support it. This is in contrast to a wide spread phenomenon called false activism that is prominent in society. We all know someone who is, and for the most part all of us are guilty of seeing a cause online, claiming to support it, and then not doing a single thing to progress the cause. For example, most everyone you talk to would claim to strongly support more environmentally friendly methods of gathering energy yet the majority of us have not done anything to progress the cause of green energy.

Thoreau's Resistance To Civil Disobedience

In the essay “Resistance to Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau, Thoreau argues about the unjust laws by the government and what we should do to resist their demands. The essay argues against the government and how the government cares very little about what we think. Thoreau lets us know that as a single person we do little effect on the government, but if we were to unify and work together for what is right then we would see a change. Thoreau’s argument on the resistance to civil government is, in fact, effective because he mentions the effectiveness, examples, and our rights to unjust laws.

Compare And Contrast Thoreau And Civil Disobedience

Thoreau believes that, “ That government is best which governs not at all” stating that the government should not only represent the people but should be run by them as well (Thoreau 940). Thoreau’s beliefs explain his position on civil disobedience, stating that civil disobedience is needed when the government implements policies that are against the individual's conscience and beliefs. Thoreau gives an example of when civil disobedience is needed by expressing his objections towards the American government's involvement in the Mexican war, “file of soldiers ...marching in admirable order over the hill and dale to wars, against their wills”(Thoreau 941). While the soldier's duty is to serve their country, if their country is asking them to disregard their own judgement to become useful for their benefit, the individual must refuse allegiance and become useful as a person and not a machine the government can use at their own will. The people that the government uses, are used to invade other countries and are enforcing their policies, making them become a popular vote government as well, “we are all made at last to pay homage to and support our own meanness” ( Thoreau 945). Thoreau is implying that civil disobedience is required in order to follow one’s own voice, to follow through to their morals, even if it means not being included in the popular vote. Thoreau states that civil disobedience is a duty that is required to indicate the necessity for change in the government, “whole country is unjustly overrun...not too soon for honest men to rebel

On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience Thoreau Summary

In the midst of the mid 1800’s the united states was at a pinnacle point in both its history and its development. During this time frame many key arguments and events took place that would later shape this nation; however, two key events of note were the Mexican American war, and the drive and push for nationwide abolition of slavery. Along with such strong and radical Movements, were radical opinions and in the case of Henry David Thoreau, he was no exception. In his Drive to End both the both the mexican american war , and slavery Thoreau partook in several forms of protest and speech writing. In Henry David Thoreau Speech “On the Duty of Civil disobedience”, Thoreau encompases the philosophy and ideas behind his resistance of the United States government through the uses of a variety of Surface Features and modes of discourse to form a strong argument for the rise of civil rebellion against America, their involvement in the mexican american war, and the country's; stance on slavery.

Rhetorical Analysis Of Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau

“A State which bore this kind of fruit, and suffered it to drop off as fast as it ripened, would prepare the way for a still, more perfect and glorious State, which also I have imagined, but not yet anymore seen”. I think Thoreau presents an effective argument, because of his freedom of speech, he stands up for what he believes in, and his honesty.

Henry David Thoreau's Resistance To Civil Disobedience

From the start of man fighting for freedom or his beliefs, the question has consistently been whether a person can wage a battle using words rather than actions. The notion of civil disobedience would seem to be an inept weapon against political inequity; history, however, has persistently proven it to be the most dynamic weapon of the individual. By refusing to pay his taxes and subsequently being imprisoned, Henry David Thoreau demonstrated this very defiance. Thoreau’s Resistance to Civil Government conveys the effectiveness of the individual conscience, renounces hypocrisy, and cultivates a sense of urgency where inaction creates a moral conflict. This path of responsibility paved by Thoreau gave our leaders of today the means they

Henry David Thoreau And Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau was an American philosopher known for his interest in politics; specifically raising awareness about the injustice committed by the American government. He’s the author of prominent works like Civil Disobedience and Slavery in Massachusetts, which set the setting for the United States at the time. Both of these works follow a common theme of perseverance through difficult times and the role of the self when choosing right from wrong. Thus, he was deeply engaged in the idea of individualism, suggesting that we are “men first and subject after”. His beliefs led him to refuse to pay taxes as an act of protest against the Mexican War; he was imprisoned for a night and this sparked in him the inspiration to write Civil

Henry David Thoreau 's Civil Disobedience

The two pieces of literature, Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Harlan Ellison’s “’Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman”, are two very distinct pieces of literature, but they are also very closely related. The quote is related to the short story because the concept of the quote is exemplified by the story. The machines are the people who conform, the leaders of the state by their heads are the Ticktockman and his staff, and the hero and enemy is Everett C. Marm, who is also known as the Harlequin. A way that the quote is exemplified in the story is that each element of the quote, the machines, leaders of the state by their heads, and the hero that is seen as an enemy, are personified in the short story.

In Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, he is writing to the American people. He is trying to spark a desire for change, for people to oppose their government without actions. He uses this work to criticize the American institution of slavery as well as the Mexican-American War. Thoreau is attempting to convey the importance of listening to one’s conscience over the laws, believing that it is more important to do what they feel is right rather than listen to the laws given by the majority. Thoreau feels that people should protest against their government, but not using violent actions. He is trying to persuade the people to voice their opinions and break the chain of majority rule. Thoreau is writing during the time of the war between the United States and Mexico, which took place between 1846 and 1848. He writes to oppose the government’s actions and policies during this time period. He refused to pay a tax that would support the war and was imprisoned for a day. Thoreau uses ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade his audience to agree with his view of the American government and to voice their oppositions.

Before discussing whether or not Civil Disobedience is an appropriate weapon in a democracy, one must understand what Civil Disobedience is and how it was developed. The definition of civil disobedience is simple: the refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something. The man who developed the undertones of Civil Disobedience was Henry David Thoreau. Several key figures looked to his famous paper, The Duty of Civil Disobedience, for inspiration. In a Democracy, Civil Disobedience is not an appropriate weapon in the fight for justice.

Resistance to Civil Government: Thoreau Essay

Thoreau’s essay represents his beliefs about the government in 1849. He uses several logos with credible examples, and uses the emotions of the audience to support his argument. The first example of logos he uses is when he says, “The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government.” His claim is that it is unconstitutional to have an army standing or ready when everything is peaceful. The government should act under this same rule; if there is peace then the government should not be standing so to speak. Throughout the essay he continues to provide credible examples of why the government abuses its power and is useless; such as when he says “Yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its

Thoreau's Civil Disobedience Essay

Thoreau's Civil Disobedience talks about politics, government and the issues concerning these areas today. "Government is best which governs least." This motto means that the government should not have complete power over the people. The people's opinion is what matters the most. Individualism is stressed throughout his writing. To stand up for what you believe in and not bend backwards for the government is necessary. He speaks of Slavery and the war in Mexico and how is must be put to a stop. The people are responsible for this happening. Many people opposed these things yet did nothing to change it. Allowing yourself to be a part of injustice makes you a part of the negativity. Paying taxes to a corrupt government makes you

Analysis Of Civil Disobedience, By Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau, author of “Civil Disobedience” and Walden, has become one of the most influential authors of all time in the eyes of many. Though some might be led to believe his essays and writings, including “Where I Lived, and What I lived For”, make him a down to earth and even rugged author, as he spent some of his life in the forest. However, his life in the woods was not one of heavy duty work and he often was supported with objects and material possessions, contrary to what many of his essays describe. Although some might think of him as a cheater or a liar, Thoreau’s conflicting lifestyles prove him to be a literary genius as he successfully dictates a lifestyle he himself does not take part in throughout paragraphs one

Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau

“Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau”

Civil Disobedience, gained its fair share of notoriety when it was published, and over the last century and a half has become the foundation upon which many civil rights leaders and activists build and pursue their cause. It has helped to shape landmark rulings from high courts, while also shaping the moral discourse that our country was facing. This essay serves to explain how such a seeming short essay, penned over 150 years ago, could have such a lasting impact. Comparisons to more modern day activists such as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. and their methods of peaceful protest will be discussed as well. Finally, the overall relevance in todays world, and whether or not Thoreaus work still measures up by todays standards. Throughout his essay, Thoreau is trying to prove one main point: Citizens in good conscience, should actively oppose the unjust policies of their government using non-violent methods. This includes refusal to pay taxes and other methods of non-cooperation. According to Thoreau, one must be willing to be imprisoned rather than to bow to the unethical and immoral government laws and practices.

One topic that is touched upon but never explicitly said, and actually serves as a larger basis for his rational, states that the rule of God, transcends the law of man. Moral and ethical convictions which are considered to be an innate characteristic in every man, can and should supersede any laws created by man himself. Slavery and war, which Thoreau writes about as specific influences, are both in direct objection to the divine rule listed above. The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was a major inspiration for Thoreaus work. Having seen the United States essentially bombard Mexico and claiming their territory as their own, all in the name of what Thoreau saw as slavery expansion, something needed to be done. Seeing his country continuing to perpetuate these moral injustices could no longer go unchallenged. Thoreau understood that something needed to change, and that he also couldnt be the only one with those same feelings. He also knew that solving violence and aggression with more violence and aggression would only exacerbate the problem, and ultimately lead to no solution. With these things in mind, Thoreau sought to protest the actions and behaviors of his county. His primary method, was to stop paying taxes.

The theory was, that if he were to not pay taxes, that would be less money to fund the actions of the government in which he was protesting against. He understood that his monetary implications on the government as a whole were negligible, however the results would be seen in the message being sent. This seemingly small form of disobedience would not fail to be noticed, and Thoreau would eventually be imprisoned for his actions. Thoreaus non-violent form of protest and willingness to be imprisoned rather than support his countries degrading moral behavior served as the basis for two very important and crucial civil rights activists some 100 years later. Mohandas Gandhi was an Indian activist who led the non-violent Indian Independence Movement against British rule. Gandhi adopted and expanded the methods of non-violent protest that Thoreau outlined, including: hunger strikes, mass noncooperation, nonviolent direct action and other social, cultural, economic, and political forms to intervene.

Cite this page

Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau. (2019, May 13). Retrieved from https://studydriver.com/civil-disobedience-and-henry-david-thoreau/

"Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau." StudyDriver.com , 13 May 2019, https://studydriver.com/civil-disobedience-and-henry-david-thoreau/

StudyDriver.com. (2019). Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau . [Online]. Available at: https://studydriver.com/civil-disobedience-and-henry-david-thoreau/ [Accessed: 3 Mar. 2023]

"Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau." StudyDriver.com, May 13, 2019. Accessed March 3, 2023. https://studydriver.com/civil-disobedience-and-henry-david-thoreau/

"Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau," StudyDriver.com , 13-May-2019. [Online]. Available: https://studydriver.com/civil-disobedience-and-henry-david-thoreau/ . [Accessed: 3-Mar-2023]

StudyDriver.com. (2019). Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau . [Online]. Available at: https://studydriver.com/civil-disobedience-and-henry-david-thoreau/ [Accessed: 3-Mar-2023]

Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau. (2019, May 13). Retrieved March 3, 2023 , from https://studydriver.com/civil-disobedience-and-henry-david-thoreau/

Save time with Studydriver!

Get in touch with our top writers for a non-plagiarized essays written to satisfy your needs

Stuck on ideas? Struggling with a concept?

A professional writer will make a clear, mistake-free paper for you!

Leave your email and we will send a sample to you.

Please check your inbox

Interested in this topic?

Please indicate where to send you the sample.

Hi! I'm Chatbot Amy :)

I can help you save hours on your homework. Let's start by finding a writer.

IMAGES

😊 Civil disobedience henry david thoreau analysis. Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Download Civil Disobedience Audiobook by Henry David Thoreau
Civil Disobedience and Other Essays by Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (English) Har 9781892933836
Civil Disobedience Part 1 -- Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau on When Civil Disobedience Against Bad Governments Is Justified: An Animated

VIDEO

Henry David Theoreau’s Civil Disobedience
Part 2
Civil Disobedience
Civil Disobedience
Life of Henry David Thoreau: Chapter9,Part1 by Henry Salt
Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

COMMENTS

ESSAY ON CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE - Manchester University
Essay on Civil Disobedience 1 ESSAY ON CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a citizen of Concord, Massachusetts, where he lived during the middle of the 19th century. He was a good friend of various literary figures of the day, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most eminent of American
Civil Disobedience | essay by Thoreau | Britannica
…Disobedience” (1849; originally titled “Resistance to Civil Government”), Thoreau expounded his anarchistic views of government, insisting that if an injustice of government is “of such a nature that it requires injustice to another [you should] break the law [and] let your life be a counter friction to stop the… discussed in biography
Civil Disobedience - Thoreau online
Civil Disobedience by Henry D. Thoreau Original title: Resistance to Civil Government I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically.
Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" Summary and Analysis - CliffsNotes
In Civil Disobedience as throughout his other writings, Thoreau focuses on the individual's ultimate responsibility to live deliberately and to extract meaning from his own life; overseeing the machinery of society is secondary. Thoreau asserts that he does not want to quarrel or to feel superior to others.
Civil Disobedience: Summary | SparkNotes
Thoreau's Civil Disobedience espouses the need to prioritize one's conscience over the dictates of laws. It criticizes American social institutions and policies, most prominently slavery and the Mexican-American War.
Civil Disobedience (Thoreau) - Wikipedia
A lifelong abolitionist, Thoreau delivered an impassioned speech which would later become Civil Disobedience in 1848, just months after leaving Walden Pond. The speech dealt with slavery and at the same time excoriated American imperialism, particularly the Mexican–American War. [5] Summary [ edit]
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience - ibiblio
Essay: “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” Author: Henry David Thoreau, 1817–62 First published: 1849 The original essay is in the public domain in the United States and in most, if not all, other countries as well. Readers outside the United States should check their own countries’ copyright laws to
Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau Essay - 1160 Words ...
Henry David Thoreau wrote one of the most influential essays entitled Civil Disobedience. This essay was Thoreau’s political statement, it outlined his views on non violent resistance. Civil Disobedience was written during the Mexican War. The Mexican War was a conflict between Mexico and America that was caused by a dispute over the boundary
Civil Disobedience and Henry David Thoreau - Free Essay ...
Civil Disobedience is an essay written by Henry David Thoreau first published in 1866, in which Thoreau attempts to convince readers to oppose the Mexican-American War and the institution of slavery as a whole. First presented as a lecture in 1848, and shortly thereafter as an essay titled Resistance to Civil Government.