A time in the life of Henry David Thoreau, slavery and the Mexican-American War were the two major issues that the United States was debating.
Henry David Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience which was inspired by his overnight stay in jail when he refused to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War. It was about the need to prioritize one's conscience over the dictates of the law. It criticized American society, policies, and institutions. Majority of its criticisms were about slavery and the American-Mexican War.
His work greatly influenced not only the people in the United States but also those living abroad.
Civil Disobedience also lent force to the American Civil Rights Movement.