Why did Thoreau refuse to pay his taxes in protest of the

At the time, taxes were funding the war.
He was the wealthiest man in Massachusetts at the time.
He knew it would get the president’s attention.

Thoreau decided to refuse paying his taxes as a form of civil disobedience in protest against the Mexican-American War, which he viewed as an unjust conflict aimed primarily at expanding slavery. He believed that by withholding financial support, he could take a stand against a government that was violating moral principles and engaging in practices he found abhorrent. This act was meant to encourage others to question the morality of their own actions in supporting a government that perpetuated war and injustice.

Moreover, his act of protest was not just personal; it resonated with the broader philosophical ideas he discussed in his essay “Civil Disobedience.” Thoreau famously argued that individuals should not allow governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences. By refusing to pay taxes, he sparked an important conversation about individual responsibility in the face of government actions, influencing future activists and movements that advocate for social justice.