Thoreau justified his act of civil disobedience by arguing that individuals have a moral obligation to resist unjust laws and policies. He believed that paying taxes to support a government that engaged in actions he considered immoral, such as the expansion of slavery and the Mexican-American War, would make him complicit in these injustices. Thoreau maintained that individuals should follow their own sense of morality rather than blindly obeying laws, even if it means facing punishment. He believed that by refusing to pay taxes, he was engaging in nonviolent resistance against an unjust system and sending a message of protest. Additionally, Thoreau argued that government should exist solely to secure the rights and liberties of its citizens, and any law or action that went against these principles should be resisted.
