Acts Of Civil Disobedience

We the people. Three courageous words that set the newly American people on a mission. A mission for life, a mission for liberty, and a mission for happiness. But those noble ideals embodied in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are still far from being achieved, and the mission continues to this day. Freedom for America didn't free the slaves, give women the right to vote, or end religious prejudice. There is nothing about a law that makes it inherently just, and the US is no exception. As a result of this, citizens may at times come to the conclusion that certain laws are in need of changing. The intention of the documents that set up our democracy was to ensure the government would forever be by and for the people. Sometimes legal means for ensuring America stays true to its original purpose prove inadequate. If such is the case in the instance at hand, turning to civil disobedience can have a positive impact on a free society.
One particular episode, the Boston Tea Party, was arguably a major factor contributing to the very foundation of the US as a country (Kennedy 132,133). Another example would be the Fugitive Slave Law, which was implemented in 1859 to ensure the capture of runaway slaves who reached the North. Reaction the the Fugitive Slave Law involved widespread flouting of the law in the North, as citizens refused to inform federal authorities about the whereabouts of runaway slaves (Kennedy 399,400). Members of the woman's suffrage movement also practiced civil disobedience, such as when Susan B. Anthony attempted to vote in the 1872 election (Kennedy 587). Few today would deny that the achievements of these three groups- independence, emancipation, and women's suffrage- were for the best. Past triumphs of civil disobedience must not be overlooked when evaluating its use in present