Henry David Thoreau’s Resistance to Civil Government is a transcendentalist essay that goes well to show the author's strong beliefs in individual conscience over unjust government actions. Originally published in 1849 as Civil Disobedience, Thoreau’s goal with the work was to advocate civil disobedience as a response to oppressive laws, positing that civilians have a responsibility to resist unjust actions through nonviolent means, to maintain their moral standing by not supporting an unjust system. His arguments revolve around the belief that individual’s sense of justice is of greater importance than blind obedience to laws that can spread injustice. The essay is grounded in his own experience of refusing to pay a poll tax, an act that led him to be imprisoned, and caused him to reflect on the responsibility of citizens under an unjust government. The main ideas presented in Resistance to Civil Government are centered on Thoreau’s distrust of an all-powerful government, instead calling for self-reliance and nonviolent resistance, and his wish for citizens to follow their own moral compass over the rule of an unjust system. Thoreau’s passionate work and strong views supporting civil disobedience went on to inspire many from future generations to be more considerate about their moral obligations and place in society in the face of injustice.