FREE ESSAY ON HENRY DAVID THOREAU AND TRANSCENDATALISM

HENRY DAVID THOREAU AND TRANSCENDATALISM

Henry David Thoreau harbored many anarchist thoughts toward 
the American
government of the decades before the Civil War, which he 
collected and wrote
about in the essay, Civil Disobedience, which, in fact 
was originally
called Resistance to Civil Government, giving the essay a 
powerful message
that would not only reflect Thoreau's own views toward the 
Mexican war, but
also give the essay a powerful anti-slavery message, as 
well as affect the
whole idea of Civil Rights, as well as shape the leaders of 
Civil Rights.
In examining the essay, Civil Disobedience, we must also 
immerse ourselves
into the reasoning of the essay. Henry David Thoreau lived 
a quiet life in a
small cabin he had built in Walden. Thoreau thought paying 
his taxes was
wrong in principal, Thoreau declares that he cannot 
associate with the
American government, because it is a slave's government 
(BECK Index).
Thoreau jails himself after being asked about taxes by the 
Constable of
Concord, Sam Staples, a friend of Thoreau. Thoreau refuses 
to pay the tax,
and is only released after some family member pays the tax 
for him. Thoreau
is infuriated that someone would pay his tax for him after 
he would not
(About.com). 
Thoreau refuses to pay taxes due to their use in the 
Mexican War. As Thoreau
declares Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few 
individuals using the
standing government as their tool. Thoreau, gives 'civil 
Disobedience' its
urgency... as a result of the leadership of imperialists 
like President
James Polk and Southern planters who were determined to add 
new land to
their cotton culture, was making war on Mexico and would 
take away half its'
territory (Smith, 60). The action of the government is 
more like that of a
monarchy to Thoreau. Witness the present Mexican war, the 
work of
comparatively few individuals, (Thoreau, 1). Thoreau 
speaks by the basic
Transcendentalist though of self-reliance. Thoreau also, 
questions the personal morality involved in the Mexican 
war (Hildebidle,
69). In Civil Disobedience, we can see the stark 
contrasts between the
attitude of the state and Toreau's own views.
Thoreau explains why slavery is a moral evil. Thoreau only 
disagreed with
the principle behind slavery, he knew no Negroes, had 
never experienced the
slightest social oppression, but was a radical 
individualist (Smith, 62).
Thoreau was a staunch supporter of John Brown, and went as 
far as to honor
his death at Harper's Ferry. Thoreau influenced many 
leaders of later Civil
Rights movements. Thoreau's essay is a noble ringing 
reiteration of the
highest religious individualism as a self-evident social 
principle
(Emerson, 5)
The essay also had a power with great minds who were 
looking to break free
of oppressive governments. It has been well documented that 
King and Gandhi
were both affected by the essay in threir quest for civil 
equality, for
Gandhi, as a young leader of the oppressed Indians in South 
Africa, was
looking for a political strategy by which to resist a 
totally oppressive
government. (Hildebidle, 74) Civil Disobedience gives 
each reader a
message about speaking out about what you believe in. For 
Thoreau, the
problem is simply of putting the highest possible value on 
the individual
rather than on the state, (Salt, 174). Again, Thoreau 
light s the fire in
the reader, to think of what is good for himself or 
herself.
John F. Kennedy said in his inauguration speech, Ask not 
what you country
can do for you, but what you can do for your country. This 
thought
expresses many values a person may have towards an action, 
taking place.
Thoreau has this to say about the government, It does not 
keep the country
free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate.
Bibliography
Hildebidle, John. The Eye and hand of Thoreau, The 
Chelsea House Library
of Literary Criticism. New York. Pgs 4366-4390
Salt, Henry S. The Chelsea House Library of Literary 
Criticism. New York.
Pgs 4690-4691
Smith, Frederick M. Thoreau The Chelsea House Library of 
Literary
Criticism. New York. Pgs 4691-4704
About.com. 
Http://www.about.com/Transcendentalism