Final answer:
Answer B is correct, as Thoreau's works inspired civil disobedience and environmentalism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Henry David Thoreau's writings have made significant impacts on future generations, especially in areas such as civil disobedience, environmentalism, and the pursuit of individual freedoms. Thoreau placed a special emphasis on the role of nature as a means to achieve individualism, which he expressed in his book Walden; Or, Life in the Woods. Through his experiences and expressions, particularly in his essay 'Civil Disobedience,' he argued for individual resistance to civil government in opposition to an immoral state.
Moreover, Thoreau's ideas significantly influenced figures like M. K. Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and others, who used his philosophy of nonviolent resistance to bring about societal changes. His work on natural history and philosophy predicted the methods and findings of ecology, making a lasting contribution to environmental history and modern environmentalism. Thoreau's engagement in abolitionism and his critique of governmental actions inspired many to stand against unjust laws and societal norms.
Thus, the correct answer to how Thoreau's writings influenced those who would come after him is: B. Thoreau's writings inspired civil disobedience and environmentalism.