Henry David Thoreau's Words On Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau lived from 1817 to 1862. He wrote extensively about civil disobedience . He was a peaceful man and believed in people being treated equally to each other. His writings did not have a big impact on society when he was alive. To look back over a hundred seventy years ago from when he lived there have been many men, countries and cultures influenced by his writings. The term Civil Disobedience originated with the writings of Henry David Thoreau. In 1848 Thoreau used this phrase in his writings to describe his decision to refuse to pay a state poll tax. The tax was a U.S. government tax that was actually made to fund a war in Mexico. This war was to increase U.S. territory toward the Pacific Coast. The war was …show more content…
And their testimony did not matter. The slave owner was believed and the slave would be returned to the owner. Henry David Thoreau wrote about his desire for a better government and democracy. He wished for a government that had respect for each person. He believed the way to bring about this change could only be by non-violent means, otherwise noted as civil disobedience. For example he went to jail for not paying the above-mentioned tax. Henry David thoreau's words on civil disobedience influenced two great leaders. They were Martin Luther King jr. and Mohandas Gandhi. Both of these men promoted refusal to cooperate with unfair government by peaceful protest, and self-sacrifice. This included no violence or retaliation toward the government. Mohandas Gandhi lived in India. He came from a middle-class Hindu family. When he was 19 years old he went to England to study law. After that he went to South Africa for 20 years and used his knowledge to fight laws that discriminated against Indians in South Africa. Gandhi himself faced much persecution when in South Africa. She could not understand how one person could …show more content…
The people who protested by non-violent means sacrificed themselves greatly. Many were beaten and imprisoned. This method is passive resistance, a method of securing rights by personal suffering. And it is a form of civil disobedience. The long-term effects of Gandhi using civil disobedience led to increased rights for the Indian people equality among the Indian people and eventually independence from Great Britain. Gandhi and his life's work of civil disobedience would serve to be an inspiration to others that were oppressed and looking for a sense of direction. Even after his assassination the spirit of Gandhi's cause stayed strong. Henry David Thoreau also inspired another man, an American by the name of Martin Luther King Jr. He was an American Baptist minister. He became the most well-known spokesperson and civil rights leader from 1954 to 1968. He promoted civil rights without violence through Civil Disobedience based on his Christian background and beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr wrote in his autobiography that the very first time he learned about non-violence was while reading on civil disobedience in 1944 by Henry David Thoreau. At the time he was attending Morehouse College. Martin Luther King read this speech over and over again.He was fascinated by an idea that promoted refusing to cooperate with an unjust