... the government's unjust slavery laws. The lecture platform provided Thoreau with another means of expressing his developing thoughts before their reworking for publication. A few years later, one of his most influential writings, "Civil Disobedience", was published in 1849 but was originally titled "Resistance to Civil Government". Thoreau wrote, "I cannot for an instant recognize that ... revising his work when, in August of 1854, Walden was published. Thoreau spent most of his time in the woods and fields of Concord after his return from Walden. He recorded in his journals his observa...

• Word Count: 2159
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., wrote these powerful words from his jail cell, in response to a criticism from white clergymen in Alabama. A firm believer in nonviolence and civil disobedience, King drew on the teachings of philosophers and writers before him, such as Henry David Thoreau. Like King, Thoreau believed that the most effective way to go about attaining one's moral goals was to ... engage in "Civil Disobedience," which, appropriately, is the name of Thoreau's essay regarding this issue written in 1849. The idea of "just" and "unjust" laws became a central theme throughout both K...

• Word Count: 1210
• Approx Pages: 5
• 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. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in "Letter from Birmingham Jail", places strong emphasis on direct action to impose reform, while promoting the equalization of rights for all individuals. Both ... honesty in his words, provoking not only a great appeal but a desire to continue acknowledging his words. Then we have Thoreau with his wide variety of ethics and morals, that although are appealing to a certain extent, contain a slightly pretentious feel, radi...

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