Civil disobedience has varied in popularity throughout the history of the United States. America was born from civil disobedience, which led to a revolution. Additionally, many of the amendments from the Constitution are a result of civil disobedience. This form of protest allows citizens to speak their mind and reinforces the system of checks and balances.
Henry David Thoreau, an abolitionist, advocated for racial equality through his literary work. Thoreau emphasized the idea of peaceful protest and its positive influence on society. He refused to pay federal taxes as a method of opposing slavery and the war with Mexico. Civil disobedience encourages government improvement, whereas those who “serve the state thus…command no more respect …show more content…
Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat on a public bus and was arrested; this action was in direct violation of the Jim Crow laws. Following her arrest, Martin Luther King Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, leading to action by the Supreme Court; bus segregation was declared unconstitutional in 1956. Rosa Parks is “a symbol of dignity and strength in the face of discrimination” (Korpe, "Rosa Parks and Civil Disobedience"). By implementing civil disobedience, the government laws were improved and provided more rights for African-Americans. These nonviolent actions sparked peaceful protest in other people and progressed the path to racial …show more content…
Although the intentions of this protest were originally pure, violence tainted the message of the marchers. Of the five million people who marched, hundreds were extremely brutal and wreaked havoc throughout the country. History has shown that peaceful protesting has been very effective. Those who were violent have spread “terror, force, violent, hate, and bigotry [and] only play into the hands of the international communist conspiracy” (Leibman, "Civil Disobedience: A Threat to Our Law Society"). Protesting can only assist the U.S. when it demonstrates peaceful motives. Violent protests tend to be destructive and dilute the positive message that the marchers attempted to
Henry David Thoreau, an abolitionist, advocated for racial equality through his literary work. Thoreau emphasized the idea of peaceful protest and its positive influence on society. He refused to pay federal taxes as a method of opposing slavery and the war with Mexico. Civil disobedience encourages government improvement, whereas those who “serve the state thus…command no more respect …show more content…
Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat on a public bus and was arrested; this action was in direct violation of the Jim Crow laws. Following her arrest, Martin Luther King Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, leading to action by the Supreme Court; bus segregation was declared unconstitutional in 1956. Rosa Parks is “a symbol of dignity and strength in the face of discrimination” (Korpe, "Rosa Parks and Civil Disobedience"). By implementing civil disobedience, the government laws were improved and provided more rights for African-Americans. These nonviolent actions sparked peaceful protest in other people and progressed the path to racial …show more content…
Although the intentions of this protest were originally pure, violence tainted the message of the marchers. Of the five million people who marched, hundreds were extremely brutal and wreaked havoc throughout the country. History has shown that peaceful protesting has been very effective. Those who were violent have spread “terror, force, violent, hate, and bigotry [and] only play into the hands of the international communist conspiracy” (Leibman, "Civil Disobedience: A Threat to Our Law Society"). Protesting can only assist the U.S. when it demonstrates peaceful motives. Violent protests tend to be destructive and dilute the positive message that the marchers attempted to