Final answer:
Civil rights activists drew from Henry David Thoreau's philosophies on civil disobedience and individual freedom, as exemplified by his nonviolent resistance to unjust government actions and his pursuit of a simple life. Leaders like Gandhi and King embraced these principles, influencing their nonviolent activism and the larger civil rights movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Civil rights activists followed the principles professed by Henry David Thoreau in several key ways. Influential figures such as Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others were inspired by Thoreau's essays on civil disobedience and his pursuit of a life free from unjust government and social constraints. Thoreau advocated for living simply and standing up to governmental injustice, a stance that manifested in his own life when he refused to pay a poll tax in protest against slavery and the Mexican-American War. This act of nonviolent resistance embodied his belief in the individual's moral duty to oppose unjust laws, which greatly influenced leaders of civil rights movements.
In Walden, Thoreau presented his experiment of living in the woods to explore the essential facts of life and maintain individual freedom. Civil rights activists applied these principles, inspiring followers to resist oppression and seek personal liberty. The impact of Thoreau's transcendentalist views and emphasis on individualism echoes through the actions and writings of these activists who challenged societal norms and government policies in their pursuit of equality and human rights.