What Is Thoreau's Response To Civil Disobedience

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Peaceful resistance to laws positively impacts a free society by effectively raising awareness to an issue in a non-violent way. Violent resistance is counter-active and inflicts more harm than good. It is ironic that people whom want social progression would regress to acts of violence. Peaceful resistance to laws is essential to achieving the desired outcome. Henry David Thoreau’s essay titled Civil Disobedience describes his reasons for resisting the law in order to protest an unjust practice. Thoreau refused to pay his taxes to express his vehement opposition to slavery. In the essay he argues that what a person believes to be right is more important than what is mandated by the government. “Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resigns his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward.” His peaceful resistance to the law influenced many other civil rights activists …show more content…
In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested for attempting to vote. She walked up to the polls with pride and was incarcerated for participating in an act that is now a civic duty and basic right of all American citizens. In the early 1900s, Alice Paul and other suffragists picketed president Wilson and marched on Washington to gain support and awareness for votes for women. Alice Paul and a number of her followers were arrested for “obstruction of justice” and thrown in a prison camp. In the camp, they continued to peacefully protest by refusing to eat, and were even still force-fed by the prison guards. However, they were eventually released from prison, and in 1920 women were finally granted the right to vote with the 19th amendment. It was ultimately the resistance to the laws by peaceful suffragists that gave them their long sought-after