Even a cursory reading of Henry David Thoreaus immortal essay about civil disobedience reveals echoes in contemporary discussions of individual rights and the limits of government in a free society. Its themes resonate into the 21st century. Faced with a federal government that condoned the institution of slavery and was waging a war of questionable origin in Mexico, Thoreau pushed his readers to consider the responsibility of an individual with conscience. This edition includes The definition of a peaceable revolution, an introductory essay by Warren Bluhm, and bonus content, Ralph Waldo Emersons 1844 essay Politics.