Final answer:
The correct answer is option B. An educated and informed citizenry.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Henry David Thoreau, a free and enlightened State requires an educated and informed citizenry. Thoreau's work, including his 1849 essay "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" and his 1854 book Walden; or Life in the Woods, emphasizes the importance of individual freedom and self-reliance without the interference of government or adherence to societal norms. Thoreau advocates for the right to resist and refuse allegiance to the government when it becomes oppressive or inefficient.
From his writings, it is clear that Thoreau values the capacity of individuals to live freely and pursue virtue without unnecessary government influence or conventional social limitations. The right answer to the student's question is therefore B. An educated and informed citizenry.