Civil Disobedience (Thoreau) facts for kids

"Civil Disobedience" is a famous essay written by Henry David Thoreau in 1849. It talks about how people should not obey a government if it asks them to do something wrong.

What is "Civil Disobedience"?

Henry David Thoreau first shared these ideas in a talk he gave in 1848. This talk was later published as an essay in 1849. It was first called Resistance to Civil Government. Today, most people know it as "Civil Disobedience." This name means "not following government rules."

In the 1840s, Thoreau stopped paying a tax called a "poll tax." This tax was the same amount for everyone. He was upset because the government used tax money to support slavery. It also used money to fight a war with Mexico. Thoreau did not want to help with these actions.

In 1846, a tax collector put Thoreau in prison for one night. This happened because he refused to pay his tax. Thoreau then wrote Civil Disobedience to explain why he chose not to pay.

Main Ideas in "Civil Disobedience"

Thoreau believed that governments can sometimes do more harm than good. He thought that a society without government might be better. He also felt that voting alone does not make a government good. People might vote for things that are wrong.

Thoreau said that one person's conscience (their inner sense of right and wrong) can make better choices. These choices can be better than those made by governments. They can also be better than decisions made by most voters.

Because the United States government allowed slavery, Thoreau felt it was not his true government. He believed people should work to end such a government. Ending a government is hard, but he felt it was necessary because it was so wrong.

Most people Thoreau spoke to also disliked slavery and the war. But Thoreau said they needed to do more than just dislike these things. They should not just vote against them or hope they would end. He urged them to stop supporting these wrongs by not paying taxes.

If the government puts you in prison for not paying taxes, Thoreau said that is a good thing. If the government is bad, then prison is the right place for good people. He believed if a bad government tried to imprison all good people, the government itself would fall apart. This would be a peaceful revolution.

Thoreau also suggested that it is easier to be brave if you own less. If you have fewer things, the government has less to take from you. He encouraged people to value what is truly good, not just their possessions.

People Who Were Inspired

Many important leaders have been inspired by Thoreau's ideas.

Mohandas Gandhi

The Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi (also known as Mahatma Gandhi) admired Thoreau's writings. In 1907, Gandhi was starting his first non-violent protest, called satyagraha, in South Africa. He wrote a short summary of Civil Disobedience in an Indian language. Gandhi said that Thoreau's ideas were a big reason slavery ended in America. He felt Indians in South Africa could learn from that example.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also found inspiration in Thoreau's work. In his autobiography, he wrote that Thoreau taught him an important lesson. It is just as important not to help bad people as it is to help good people. King said that Thoreau's lessons "came alive" during the civil rights movement.

Images for kids

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  First page of "Resistance to Civil Government" by Henry David Thoreau, published in Aesthetic Papers, in 1849.

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  Lock and key from Thoreau's Concord jail cell

See also

In Spanish: Desobediencia civil (ensayo) para niños