Henry David Thoreau

Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau

"If we were left solely to the wordy wit of legislators in Congress for our guidance, uncorrected by the seasonable experience and the effectual complaints of the people, America would not long retain her rank among the nations."

-Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (1849)




Civil Disobedience (1849) was originally delivered as impassioned lectures denouncing government, especially with respect to slavery and the Mexican-American War. Abolitionist Thoreau exhorts people to take action against the government, which he deems corrupt and unjust. Proponents of nonviolence such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Leo Tolstoy credit Thoreau's essay as influential in their work. Civil Disobedience remains significant in today's society with quotes like "The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation" and "A minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority."




This timeless classic is a must read for anyone passionate about change in politics or government.