American author, transcendentalist, and tax opponent, Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, and lived there most of his life. He was against many of the things happening in our society and discussed many issues in his life. Two of these important issues are the Mexican-American War and the implementation of slavery in our society. This was why many of his writings include "Slavery in Massachusetts" and "Civil Disobedience", in which he wrote of his principles and opinions against the United States government and their involvement in the Mexican-American War and evil of slavery. Thoreau opposed these because they promote unjust government practices which he was strongly against. According to the American Heritage Dictionary "Civil disobedience" is the refusal to obey civil laws in an attempt to effect a change in government policy or legislation, characterized by the use of passive words. resistance or other non-violent means. In “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau stated “The best government is that which governs least, and I should like to see it act more rapidly and systematically” (p. 227). Thoreau did not believe that the government should have the final say on everything. The citizens of this country should have rights in decision-making and also the opportunity to think for themselves. Thoreau claims that government does not, in reality, achieve what we credit it with: it does not keep the country free, colonize the West, or educate. Rather, these results stem from the character of the American people, and they would have been even more successful in these efforts if the government had been even less involved. Another important theme in “Civil Disobedience” is Thoreau's statement about how the g... ...middle of paper ......fight and struggle against the Egyptian government and its laws. These people practiced civil disobedience while remaining true to their individual values. Thoreau's characteristics made him significant during his lifetime and have remained significant to this day. Thoreau was against the Mexican-American War and the act of slavery in our society and was very skeptical of the United States government regarding these issues. The United States government did more to harm American citizens than to protect them and Thoreau realized this and was not afraid to express his opinion. The law will never make men free; it is men who must make the law free” Thoreau is saying that don't just wait for change to come, make change happen. He stands for what is right regardless of the consequences, so he wanted American citizens to be brave enough to do the same.