From Concord’s Jail – An Address by H. D. Thoreau, by Nathaniel Smith

Henry_david_thoreau
Henry David Thoreau[

[Originally published September 25, 2008]

Introduction: On July 23rd, 1846, Henry David Thoreau, protesting slavery and the ensuing Mexican war (1845 – 48) chose incarceration rather than paying his $1.00 poll tax. From this experience came the essay CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE which directly influenced Mohandas K. Gandhi in his efforts to free India from British rule and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the civil rights movement in the 1960's.

The following monologue is the author's fictionalized attempt to portray Thoreau's state of mind shortly after the incident and the areas of consideration leading to his momentous essay.

Setting: July 24th, 1846, Concord – H.D. Thoreau is invited to speak at the Concord Lyceum about his recent act of civil disobedience. The lyceum was a place where relevant topics of the day were presented to the public.

Note: H. D. Thoreau did, in fact, speak at the lyceum about this matter, but it was not until two years later in 1848 and later publishedCIVIL DISOBEDIENCE.

I have only lately come from Concord Jail. I went, you see, because my government, like some ruffian, has gone to war with Mexico. And yet it comes to me to pay for this villainy. My conscience would not let me pay a penny for the privilege of sacking my neighbor. But I am told to hand some portion of my earnings over or else be promised with a bullet or barred windows!

Read the full address on the Berkshire Review, an International Journal for the Arts!