On the Duty of Civil DisobedienceHenry David Thoreau
On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau · 1849 · Politics & Society
Full text · 4 chaptersNarrated in your voice
What it's about
Thoreau explains why he refused to pay a poll tax that supported slavery and the Mexican War, recounts his night in the Concord jail, and argues that individuals should not let governments make them agents of injustice. A short essay later read by Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
Reading plan
Pick a finish date and Genius lays out the days — the plan shows today's target and keeps you honest.
Read together
Start a circle and share the code — everyone sees everyone's honest place in the book. Accountability, not leaderboards.
Who it's for
- Readers who want a complete classic in under an hour - Anyone thinking about conscience, protest and the law - Students of nonviolent resistance
