foundation of Henry David Thoreau’s and Martin Luther King’s morals and beliefs. Thoreau was an American transcendentalist in the 1800’s who had very strong views about the United States government at the time. He was against slavery and the Mexican-American War so he refused to not his poll taxes, which consequently landed him in jail for a night. Soon later, he wrote an essay, called “Civil Disobedience,” in which he spoke out on his feeling about government. King was an African American and was one
Perspectives of Martin Luther King and David Thoreau While both Martin Luther King Jr. and David Thoreau recognized that society needed modification, they acquired contrasting perspectives about the dilemma. King writes out of concern for the African-American race and believes that even though law states, something is wrong, it could be right. Thoreau believes writes out of frustration and that "Government is best which governs not at all." (Thoreau 407). King and Thoreau agree that everyone has
Henry David Thoreau and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr-- two highly influential men of their time. Thoreau was an author and philosopher in the mid 1800s who was strongly against slavery. During this time, the American Civil War was taking place and this shaped his writing and opinion of the government of the era. King was a minister and a civil rights leader during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Both men believed in the equality of all people and though they were similarly passionate about their beliefs
When It’s OK to Disobey Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” collectively persuade their audiences to disobey authority when it concerns social injustice. King takes a more assertive yet respectful approach, and makes it a point to explicate the intolerable treatment that the black community had to endure under the encroachment of segregation laws. In addition, Thoreau expounds why it is so important for citizens to object and take