Henry David Thoreau's primary purpose in writing “Civil Disobedience” was to protest taxation for a war he did not believe in. Thoreau wrote the essay in response to his opposition to the Mexican-American War and the institution of slavery, arguing that individuals should not permit governments to overrule their consciences. He advocated for the moral duty to resist unjust laws, particularly in the context of being taxed to support a war he viewed as immoral.
What was Henry David Thoreau’s primary purpose in writing “Civil Disobedience”?
to encourage people to fight in the Mexican-American War
to prove that government works only when the people let it
to question the government’s right to tell him what to do
to protest taxation for a war he did not believe in
1 answer