Civil Disobedience

Noted transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau spent two years, two months, and two days chronicling his near-isolation in the small cabin he built in the woods near Walden Pond on land owned by his mentor, the father of Transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo ...

Henry David Thoreau's essay, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, is a masterful exploration of the moral imperative to resist unjust laws and unjust governmental systems. By deploying a carefully crafted philosophical argument, Thoreau contends that ...

Walden, an American classic, details the experiences of Henry David Thoreau while he lived at Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau, a transcendentalist author and poet, writes extensively of reflections on his natural surroundings, as w...

What is history? In his 2001 book In Defence of History British historian Richard J. Evans debates the very nature of the subject. Certain thinkers known as postmodernists consider history to be not very far removed from a work of fiction, somethin...

Frederick Douglass's 'Collected Articles' compiles powerful writings from the iconic abolitionist and statesman. From poignant narratives on slavery to impassioned calls for justice, Douglass's eloquent prose captures the essence of his tireless adv...

Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” is a political treatise against slavery, war, and an argument that individuals not cede excessive power to government. A masterpiece of American individualism, the essay is considered b...

After his retirement from the Marine Corps in the early 1930's, General Smedley D. Butler embarked on a national lecture tour, where he gave his speech about how commercial interests benefit from war. The speech was well received and he wrote an exp...

Acclaimed historian Stephen Ambrose begins his examination with a glance inward -- he starts this book with his brothers, his first and forever friends, and the shared experiences that join them for a lifetime, overcoming distance and misunderstandi...

Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–1776 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage co...