Compare And Contrast Resistance To Civil Government And Letters From Birmingham Jail

This nation has long been home to an idealistic hope that people strive to even have the chance at pursuing: the American Dream. However, this opportunity seemed unrealistic for an entire race as slavery and discrimination degraded African-Americans to a class seen as inferior to the rest of society. This idea existed in the mid-1800s and persisted throughout the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-1900s, both of which were met by the tactics of civil disobedience as seen through the work of Transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau and political activist Martin Luther King, Jr. Both similarities and differences between the two men become apparent in reading Thoreau’s “Resistance to Civil Government” and King’s “Letters From Birmingham Jail.”

“Resistance to Civil Government” was written at the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1849, whereas “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” was written over a century later amidst the Civil Rights Movement. The two works also differ in their audience and purpose. Thoreau’s audience was mainly average Americans trying to get them on board with his principles and ideas about society. In contrast. King explicitly states that he was writing toward clergymen in response to their critiques of his actions, and as a result, his purpose was geared more towards explaining his actions and reconciling with the clergymen. Thoreau, however, used his writing to encourage his audience to make a difference and fight for what they believe in. Lastly, Thoreau was fighting more generally for human rights and against the injustices of an oppressive government, while King was fighting more narrowly for African-American