Civil Disobedience Author, Henry David Thoreau was the first person to popularize the term civil disobedience. Although Civil Disobedience is a catalyst for change there are a lot of gray areas within the subject. A question that arises is if it is ok to disregard a law and break it. Civil disobedience can be seen in four parts which are the intentions, non-violent acts, how it is carried out, and the desire to communicate their wants peacefully. Although many people look down on civil disobedience some of the greatest moments of American democracy have come from civil disobedience where people try to achieve equality and freedom. The idea of Civil Disobedience can be seen from the beginning of American history