This Literature Unit Is:

"Civil Disobedience"
by Henry David Thoreau

Introduction

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American writer and naturalist. He lived for two years at Walden Pond in a small cabin that he built and he tells of his experiences there in Walden, his most famous book. He also wrote essays that, along with his book, greatly influenced American thought. His essay, "Civil Disobedience", influenced both Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Civil Disobedience" is one of our great American essays. When should citizens disobey their government? What type of government is the best? Thoreau addresses these questions and other issues in his most famous and influential essay.

Edition I Use: Civil Disobedience and Other Essays / Dover Thrift
ISBN #: 0-486-27563-9 / $1.50 / 90 pages
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This essay is available on-line here.

Unit Sections: