Thoreau's essay Civil Disobedience was published in 1849 under the title "Resistance to Civil Government." Thoreau was briefly jailed in 1847 for refusal to pay taxes in protest against the Mexican War. He became interested in transcendentalism as promulgated by Emerson (author of Self-Reliance).
In his writings, Thoreau is explaining the depth and breadth of an individuals responsibility to themselves and how in that context purely stated there is no other path other than creation of a system for ones self that excludes government regulations, or we have lost ourselves through voluntary compliance with things we did not create nor want; and since we only have one life and one chance to bring this upon ourselves there is no moment when we are allowed (within our own bodies and minds) to be guided by any other script other than our own. One does not switch from government compliance to resistance. One never begins a compliant life. In this way one has integrity.
The three major sections of Thoreau's Resistance to Civil Government paper are government, him, and reformity. <--- these are the basics and you just have to build on them like explain each one my teacher told me.
government is a nessesary evil
By showing that he is willing to go to jail for his beliefs. apex
He asked for a better government at once.
Metaphor -apex
To draw attention to what the American people do that the government doesn't
The role the government should play in people's lives
In Jail
In Jail
An individual's relationship to government
To compare injustice to something concrete -apex
That it has not done enough to truly represent the people
In "Resistance to Civil Government," Thoreau criticizes the institution of government for practicing unjust policies such as slavery, the Mexican-American War, and the enforcement of unjust laws. He argues that individuals should resist supporting such actions through passive resistance and civil disobedience. Thoreau advocates for individual conscience and moral principles as the foundation for just governance.
The Mexican-American War :)
The essay "Resistance to Civil Government" by Henry David Thoreau was later renamed "Civil Disobedience." Thoreau's main argument remained the same throughout the essay, emphasizing the importance of individual conscience and moral obligations in opposing unjust laws and government actions. The essay inspired many future leaders and movements advocating for nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience.
That it has not done enough to truly represent the people
In Jail
The role the government should play in people's lives