Final answer:
Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau believed in the importance of civil disobedience as a form of political and social liberty, as evidenced in 'Civil Disobedience' and his life at Walden Pond, which influenced future leaders of nonviolent resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau indeed believed that being socially and politically disobedient was an essential expression of liberty, which aligns with the statement being True. Thoreau's acts of civil disobedience, including his refusal to pay poll taxes as a protest against slavery and the Mexican American War, were central to his philosophy.
His essay "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" makes a strong case against governmental interference, encouraging individuals to oppose unjust laws in nonviolent ways. His experiences at Walden Pond, where he sought to live free from conventional societal expectations, were documented in "Walden; or, Life in the Woods", advocating for a life of simplicity and individualism. Thoreau's influential concepts of passive resistance and personal freedom inspired leaders like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. in their nonviolent movements for social and political change.