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Similarities Between Civil Disobedience And Martin Luther King

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Henry David Thoreau was an American author and philosopher during the Transcendental Era of the nineteenth century. Although his most influential writing, Civil Disobedience, did not obtain the credit it should have deserved when it was first published in 1849, Thoreau’s work has impacted many renowned leaders in America who made a difference in today’s society. Civil Disobedience was written after Thoreau was placed in jail for one night because he refused to pay poll tax which was in protest of slavery and the U.S. involvement of the Mexican-American War. In this writing, Thoreau pointed out the immoral actions of the American government and the unjust laws that were established for the “expediency” of the country. He also emphasizes …show more content…

There were many similarities in both King’s letter and Thoreau’s writing. King fought for what he believed in even though the government of Birmingham tried to oppress him. He went for what was morally right, but was unjustly punished. King marched to expose racism that was “hidden” by society in a civil manner. The oppressors blamed African Americans for creating violence even though they protested peacefully. King goes on to say that he was stuck in between Negroes that opposed his nonviolent marches and Negroes that have no say in equality for colored Americans. He says, “If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march”. This shows that African Americans should not just stand and watch, but march and fight against the corrupted government to end segregation. Even though the eight clergymen called King an extremist, King defended his standing by quoting many influential people who were considered as extremists in their very own way. There was no better time to matter then after the passing of the law because it exposed injustice with “light of human conscience and air of national opinion” act as a natural medicine. Overall, King and Thoreau share many similar qualities in that they were not afraid of injustice because they knew that their moral actions will overcome and recognized by those who share in the same common

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Martin Luther King Jr and other african americans in front of the Civil Rights Movement leaders. Also in front of the Abraham Lincoln statue. Martin Luther King giving his I Have a dream speech in August,28,1963 Ruby Bridges was escorted by the U.S. Marshals. She was the first black child enrolled at Frantz Elementary school.

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King’s letter is full of powerful and motivating quotes. King explained the topic of freedom and how it was difficult for the African Americans to achieve, he stated: “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (68). The African Americans, specifically the leaders, went through extremely tough and painful experiences. According to King, for the African Americans to achieve freedom they had to fight for it, because the oppressors refused to give freedom to their victims. King knew this because of the many different painful experiences him and the other leaders experienced to receive their

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268 Words | 2 Pages

In my opinion Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. have very similar purposes in their writings. Both author 's are writing to protest unfair laws. But they also have very different audiences. In Civil Disobediance, Thoreau writes how those who break unjust laws should suffer the consequences as a protest to the laws.

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When King describes the acts of violence against his “black brothers and sisters” from law enforcement he is able to appeal to the emotions of many by making people try to sympathize with him and his cause. As King states, “but when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill,” (King 2) he shows how misguided the statement of the clergymen was. He does this by exhibiting real life examples of what he himself has seen occuring as a result of peaceful demonstrations furthering his arguments validity. Not only physical harm from law enforcement is affecting African Americans, but the way the law works is too. With Kings example of the segregation that the law causes he uses the scenario, “as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park… and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children,” (King 2) to show how an innocent child understands the issue of racism.

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Again, the author solidifies his point of the limited extent of the government as an active entity within the country. Although this piece was written over a century ago, it is still understandable to modern society because of Thoreau’s ability to clearly convey his ideas through

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The purpose of this document. is to show the reader that their is still hope for American and that change will greatly impact society (Document B). In Document. 4, King shows how his followers will not stop until every school has been integrated. He says, “ Let us march on segregated until every vestige of segregation and inferior education becomes a thing of the past and Negroes and whites study side by side in the socially healing context of the classroom…” in order to conceive whites that all of society will benefit from the integration of school and other public facilities. Though King knows that non violent protests will slowly lead to change, he also knows that they will eventually work and lead to change throughout society.

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573 Words | 3 Pages

Acting civil, but disobedient, is a way to non-violently protest things you believe to be unfair. Henry David Thoreau wrote an essay called “Civil Disobedience” which has been used by many such as Martin Luther King Jr. to help fight injustice. King was a pastor and renowned speaker who headed the Civil Rights movement. Dr. King's “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was based on concepts he read in Thoreau's “Civil Disobedience”. While both writers discuss ways to be civil yet disobedient, they convince the readers in opposite ways.

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Thoreau 's views on the government by comparing the government to a machine. He states, ”When the machine was producing injustice, it was the duty of conscientious citizens to be ‘a counter friction’ (i.e., a resistance) "to stop the machine.” The two major issues being debated in the United States during his life was slavery and the Mexican-American War in which were major reasons he wrote his essays. In the mid to late 1840’s slavery has been indoctrinated into American society in which caused rifts between Americans.

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Civil Disobedience Compare and Contrast Henry Thoreau and Martin Luther King both wrote persuasive discussions that oppose many ideals and make a justification of their cause, being both central to their argument. While the similarity is obvious, the two essays, Civil Disobedience by Thoreau and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. do have some similarities. King tries persuading white, southern clergymen that segregation is an evil, unfair law that ought to defeat by use of agitation of direct protesting. Thoreau, on the other hand, writes to a broader, non-addressed audience, and focuses more on the state itself. He further accepts it at its current state, in regard to the battle with Mexico and the institution of slavery.

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By analyzing both of these writings it’s almost obvious that Martin Luther King was influenced by Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” because they both use very similar writing techniques. King also described a four step to a non-violent protest, and the first one is to collect facts to determine whether an injustice law exists. This relates to Thoreau’s critique of an unjust government because Thoreau believed that every machine had

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895 Words | 4 Pages

In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s essay, “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” and Henry David Thoreau essay “Civil Disobedience,” both share their opinions on social injustice and civil disobedience. They both believe that people can protest unfair and unjust laws imposed on them in a civil way. In addition, King and Thoreau are challenging the government with their essays, which they wrote after they got sent to jail. For protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama, King spent eleven days in jail; Thoreau spent a night in jail for refusing to pay his poll tax. Both King and Thoreau’s essays present similar plans for a resolution.

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897 Words | 4 Pages

The main similarity in the writings of Thomas Jefferson and Henry David Thoreau is the idea of revolution against an abusive government. The main difference is the context in which each document was written, the Declaration of Independence as the colonies were rebelling against Great Britain and forming their own government, and Civil Disobedience as criticisms of the government developed within nearly seventy-five years after the signing of the Declaration. Both Jefferson and Thoreau share ideas of revolution, although overthrowing the government is seen in many cases as illegal. Both documents share a common theme of revolution, and both authors believe the best way to move toward a better government is civil disobedience. Jefferson and Thoreau believe that whether it is the struggle for independence or being freed from injustices of the government, civil disobedience and revolution are necessary in order to live in a society based on freedom.

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The individual's relationship to the state is a concept often entertained abstractly; at variance with this is Civil Disobedience, which analyzes Thoreau's first direct experience with state power in his brief 1846 imprisonment. Thoreau metaphorically detailed his search for virtue in the quote, "The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly." (Thoreau 8) In Civil Disobedience Thoreau as earnest seeker and flawed captive of the conscience concertedly attempts to correct this shortcoming within the context of slavery and the Mexican-American War.

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711 Words | 3 Pages

Through his book of essays, “Nature,” about the relationship between nature, man, and God, Ralph Waldo Emerson became the father figure of the transcendentalist period. “After the publication of his short treatise “Nature” in 1836, Emerson became the central figure of the transcendentalist movement in the United States and a guiding intellect for numerous American writers” (Source 1). Throughout his whole life, he disliked slavery. When living at Walden’s Pond for two years, Emerson urged Henry David Thoreau to keep a daily journal, which he turned into Walden, and influential Transcendentalist book about solitude in nature. Being purposeful and determined, Thoreau wrote “Civil Disobedience,” the transcendentalist doctrine about how a citizen

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He places the strong authority of the declaration on his side to show how the American people are in contradiction to their own “sacred obligation” and the Negros have gotten a “bad check.” A metaphor representing the unfulfilled promise of human rights for the African Americans. King skillfully evokes an emotional response from all races with the use of religion: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” By doing this he finds a common ground that brings black and whites closer with a common belief in God they share, as well as the mention of

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