Resistance to Civil Government
Directions: Answer the following questions in a word program
and submit to turnitin.com by Wed. Dec. 11th at midnight.
1. According to Thoreau, what does he feel is the best type of government? Does he think there
shouldn’t be a government at all?
2. Explain the following excerpt from pg. 250 in your own words:
“It is excellent, we must all allow; yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by
the alacrity with which it got out of its way.… and it would have done somewhat more, if the
government had not sometimes got in its way.”
3. Explain the following excerpt from pg. 250 in your own words:
“It is not a man’s duty, as a matter of course to…and yet these very men have each, directly by their
allegiance, and so indirectly, at least, by their money, furnished a substitute.
4. According to Thoreau, what’s the only way a person like him can show the government he doesn’t
approve of their actions?
5. Explain the following excerpt from pg. 251 in your own words:
“I know this well…what is once well done is done forever”
6. How did Thoreau feel about his experience in jail? Use examples from the text to support your
answer.
7. Does Thoreau feel like anything changed while he was in jail? What does he realize about his
neighbors?