It was this experience that Thoreau wrote about in an essay called "Civil Disobedience." In this essay, he argued that being moral and just came before allegiance to government. He wrote "If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law." He also felt that voting was not enough to ensure that the right thing be done. He wrote that "even voting for the right is doing nothing for it… A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance…" He felt that one had a moral responsibility to resist unjust laws.

What is the main idea of the bolded paragraph? (5 points)

Thoreau wrote about his views of morality in "Civil Disobedience."

Thoreau had many ideas about justice after his stay in jail.

Thoreau spent much time writing about civil behavior.

Thoreau gave much thought to his form of rebellion.

This is the sentence that best expresses the main idea of the paragraph. The sentence tells us that Thoreau had thought about his ideas carefully, and that he had a well-constructed, logical justification for civil disobedience. Thoreau clearly had spent a lot of time thinking about this form of rebellion. He was not only convinced of his position but he summarized his views in his essay.