As a devout abolitionist and stout detractor of the Mexican-American War, Thoreau believed the American people were aware of "[their] right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency [were] great and unendurable" (287). In retrospect, Thoreau was an outspoken idealist, and it 's unfortunate that he never lived to see his idealism become reality in President Lincoln’s ratification of the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery nationwide. Nor was he able to bear witness to the sheer sacrifice of American blood expended throughout the full course of the Civil War (1861–1865), which helped solidify that freedom. Nevertheless, his words echo, even today, one of the five rights set forth in the 1st amendment: the right to petition the government. A basic right that is often overlooked in a contemporary American context, if not already
As a devout abolitionist and stout detractor of the Mexican-American War, Thoreau believed the American people were aware of "[their] right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency [were] great and unendurable" (287). In retrospect, Thoreau was an outspoken idealist, and it 's unfortunate that he never lived to see his idealism become reality in President Lincoln’s ratification of the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery nationwide. Nor was he able to bear witness to the sheer sacrifice of American blood expended throughout the full course of the Civil War (1861–1865), which helped solidify that freedom. Nevertheless, his words echo, even today, one of the five rights set forth in the 1st amendment: the right to petition the government. A basic right that is often overlooked in a contemporary American context, if not already