NBCT Adolescence and Young Adulthood (AYA) Social Studies Practice Test

Civil disobedience against unjust government actions is the idea tied to Thoreau. He argued that individuals must follow their conscience and resist laws or policies they deem immoral, even if that means breaking the law and facing consequences. He put this into practice by refusing to pay taxes in protest of slavery and the Mexican-American War, and he expressed it in the essay Civil Disobedience. This stance influenced later movements and leaders who champion nonviolent resistance. The other options don’t reflect Thoreau’s central focus, which centers on moral obligation to oppose state actions when they’re unjust.