Final answer:
Henry David Thoreau advocated for limited government intervention, emphasizing individual responsibility and the right to resist unjust laws. His essay 'Civil Disobedience' and the book 'Walden' encapsulate these ideals, which have influenced figures like Gandhi and King and have had a significant impact on environmentalism and nonviolent resistance. Option B is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
Henry David Thoreau's view of the role of the government was that he supports limited government intervention; he believed in the individual's duty to stand up to governmental injustices in a nonviolent way. This stance is notably evident in Thoreau's 1849 essay Civil Disobedience, where he urges readers to resist supporting an immoral government. Moreover, his work Walden; or, Life in the Woods details his experiment in simple living and his quest for personal freedom and individuality, away from societal norms and government interference.
Thoreau's refusal to pay poll tax due to his opposition to slavery and the Mexican-American War, and his subsequent imprisonment, serve as a personal and historical testament to his advocacy for individual responsibility in the face of unjust government actions. His writing influenced significant figures like Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., highlighting the global impact of his ideas about passive resistance and individual freedom. Thoreau's principles of living simply and resisting government excess hold lasting influence on modern-day environmentalism and nonviolent resistance movements.