In July 1846, Henry David Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience, explaining the reasoning behind his
refusal to pay taxes as a protest against slavery and the US war with Mexico. His writing, which
would go on to influence many others, including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
declared that “it is the citizen’s duty to heed the voice of conscience rather than collude in
oppression.” We’ll examine the power of these words and their relevance 174 years later.