Unjust laws and unjust governmental systems are a common theme in Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience and Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail. In Civil Disobedience Thoreau clarifies that following an unjust law is a violation of ones conscience. ... King notes that civil disobedience is necessary for the case of the city of Birmingham. ... Thoreau's time period was much more unruly than the civil rights era for African Americans, even though blacks were treated so harshly in southern towns in the late fifties and early sixties. ... This explains the m...

• Word Count: 446
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

(Thoreau, Walden.) ... From this experience comes the essay Civil Disobedience, in which he tells of the corruption/flaws of the politic system and government, "Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? ... (Thoreau, Civil Disobedience.) ... All through his life Thoreau exercises his beliefs in his actions and his writings. ... (Thoreau, Civil Disobedience.) ...

• Word Count: 436
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

In Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, Thoreau takes a strong look at the government and the reasons why some government laws should not be followed. ... Thoreau refused to pay, however another person instead paid the money for him. ... Lastly, Thoreau speaks of a poll tax. ... It is believed that it is this one night in jail that caused Thoreau to write the essay Civil Disobedience. Thoreau was released when once again someone paid the tax for him. ...

• Word Count: 472
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Civil Obedience vs. Civil Disobedience Right through American history, it is very clear that many individuals have struggled or battled for justice in a society that has often denied it. ... Henry David Thoreau, a 19th century individualist, wrote an essay called "Civil Disobedience" in which he explained his reasons for not paying taxes to a government that was involved in an unjust war with Mexico. ... Henry Thoreau also used emotional appeal in "Civil Disobedience." ... Thoreau didn't use the bible to support his thoughts, but he did mention God a few times in "Civil Disobedience". ...

• Word Count: 1097
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

A Comparison Analysis of Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" versus Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Henry David Thoreau gave a lecture titled "Civil Disobedience" in 1848. "Civil Disobedience" was later published in 1849. ... To continue, the second theme in Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" is injustice. ... Thoreau was an advocate of civil liberties. ... In conclusion, both King's "I Have a Dream" and Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" contain similar themes. ...

• Word Count: 574
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Thoreau's best-known work is that of his book, Walden. ... This resistance was later clarified in his essay, Civil Disobedience. In Civil Disobedience Thoreau discussed his idea of passive resistance. ... In conclusion, Thoreau's essay was extremely powerful. ... I admire Thoreau for standing up for what he believed in. ...

• Word Count: 286
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

Reflection on Emerson and Thoreau After having read the works by Emerson and Thoreau, such as Self-Reliance or Civil Disobedience, many of the readers keep questioning the actual point of each work supported by so many repetitions and restatements. ... What really got me involved in the lecture of the works, especially Self-Reliance by Emerson and Civil Disobedience by Thoreau, was the style of writing used to compose the works. ... Thus reading Civil Disobedience in our age can bring much more benefits to the civilization that it could years ago when majority of people chose to remain inf...

• Word Count: 603
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Much like Henry David Thoreau, Rosa Parks showed acts of nonviolence and civil disobedience toward the racial issues they faced. ... Civil disobedience is opposing a law that is thought to be wrong by peacefully refusing to obey it. ... (Thoreau, 7) In Henry David Thoreau's essay "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience." ... Inconclusion, the results of civil disobedience throughout history have been tremendously successful. ... Henry David Thoreau and Rosa Parks left their marks in history by using acts of nonviolence and civil disobedience fighting the racial issue...

• Word Count: 558
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The first way is the start of civil disobedience in the 1860's. ... In the 1840's Henry David Thoreau came up with an idea that is called "civil disobedience." ... They used civil disobedience to eventually get what they felt is right. It was important to Thoreau to get the public informed about the concept of civil disobedience so, when war's broke out it would make people think maybe the war is wrong and do not have to support it. ... Instead he went to jail to protest and wrote his essay "Civil Disobedience." ...

• Word Count: 860
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Thoreau's essay might have been a decent persuasion essay back in its time, but to me, I think it's no good. ... Making claims about the way the government and society should be structured take evidence such as The American-Mexican war and the slavery issues, which are basically his only two warrants of proof that civil disobedience towards the government is acceptable. ... Thoreau does not give any credit to the government what so ever. ...

• Word Count: 399
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Civil Disobedience #1) I think it means that when a government tries to have too much control of over a group of peoples then there will be sedition to that control. ... Then as Thoreau suggests, " break the law- and relating to my explanation you must pull the plug stopping the electricity, the injustice. ...

• Word Count: 467
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Transcendentalism blossomed during the 1800s with the help of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau. ... He stated that "things do not change; we change" (Thoreau). ... In, "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau urges people to resist the governmental policies with which they disagree. ... Thoreau protested against the government due to the war between Texas and Mexico. Thoreau states, " 'That [the] government is best which governs least' 'That government is best which governs not at all,'" (Thoreau). ...

• Word Count: 1042
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

"In Civil Disobedience", Henry David Thoreau, stresses on the true importance of the individual and his power to alter governmental injustices. ... However, King's piece exalts effectively due to the genuine modesty he portrays a quality Thoreau lacks provoking a reverse reaction than the one desired. ... Thoreau possesses a very dry emotional appeal in his piece because of his lack of modesty, that almost makes his statements and remarks seem despotic. ... Thoreau here radiates emotion while connecting morality; he is inviting the audience to be humble and not allow th...

• Word Count: 808
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

After reading "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau I have formed many conclusions about justice. ... Thoreau wrote "I, Henry Thoreau, do not wish to be regarded as a member of any incorporated society which I have not joined" It is unjust to be made to pay for something that you feel is truly wrong. Thoreau also states, "Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison." ...

• Word Count: 883
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Henry David Thoreau was no Mountain man, but a writer who explored his own beliefs. ... Thoreau had many different beliefs than the others in the American society. ... In "Civil Disobedience", he said that people should not obey any law they think is unjust. This essay greatly influenced many leaders of the American civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr. ... Anyone who has read Walden knows that Thoreau was exploring human individualism. ...

• Word Count: 880
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

., whose main philosophy on civil disobedience revolved around nonviolence, wrote a "Letter From Birmingham Jail" to eight clergymen informing them of the situation in Birmingham, Alabama, in April of 1963. ... Because civil disobedience includes the violation laws, it is difficult to conclude whether an act is one of civil disobedience, or lawbreaking. During times of social strife- when a society is divided in opinion- there exists much controversy over whether or not certain acts of protest are qualified as civil disobedience. Within their definitions, the differences between civil disobedi...

• Word Count: 831
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

., whose main philosophy on civil disobedience revolved around nonviolence, wrote a "Letter From Birmingham Jail" to eight clergymen informing them of the situation in Birmingham, Alabama, in April of 1963. ... Because civil disobedience includes the violation laws, it is difficult to conclude whether an act is one of civil disobedience, or lawbreaking. During times of social strife- when a society is divided in opinion- there exists much controversy over whether or not certain acts of protest are qualified as civil disobedience. Within their definitions, the differences between civil disobedi...

• Word Count: 831
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

He stated that "things do not change; we change" (Thoreau 409). ... In "Civil Disobedience", Thoreau "urg[es] people to resist the governmental policies with which they disagree" (Prentice Hall 412). ... Thoreau protested against the government due to the war between Texas and Mexico. Thoreau states " 'That [the] government is best which governs least' 'That government is best which governs not at all'" (Thoreau 412). ... Dickinson saw life in a completely different way than did Emerson and Thoreau. ...

• Word Count: 909
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

In MY reading I discovered the principle of nonviolence as enunciated in Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," and I was persuaded by John Ruskin's plea to give up industrialism for farm life and traditional handicrafts--ideals similar to many Hindu religious ideas. ... Thousands of Indians joined ME in this civil disobedience campaign. ...

• Word Count: 493
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

What makes us think that we own animals? How do we claim to be most intellectual and intelligent animal? Don't we have any kind of duties to the fellow beings? If you wouldn't eat cow or a dog then why eat a goat? Why shouldn't animals have right? If they didn't harm us then why should we act selfis...

• Word Count: 1213
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School