from WALDEN

Thoreau lived at Walden Pond for two years, two months,
and two days in a cabin that measured ten feet by fifteen
feet. He built the cabin himself. It was simple and sturdy,
with plastered walls and a shingled roof. His equipment
consisted of an ax, two knives and a fork, three plates, one
cup, one spoon, a jug for oil, a jug for molasses, and one
lamp. He made his own furniture, including a bed, table,
desk, and three chairs. At Walden, Thoreau devoted himself
to observing the seasons, the animals, the plants, and to
witing his journals, but he was not a hermit. Since the pond
was only a mile from Concord, Thoreau was able to visit his
relatives and friends nearly every day.
When he was twenty-nine years old, Thoreau refused to pay
a small tax that supported the Mexican-American War and
the continuation of slavery. His action was an example of hisphilosophy of "passive resistance," a means of nonviolent
protest. The jailer offered to pay the tax for Thoreau, but
Thoreau refused, on principle. He spent one night in jail
before his aunt paid the tax. To explain his actions, Thoreau
wrote the essay "Resistance to Civil Government," now
known as "Civil Disobedience."