Final answer:
Henry David Thoreau became critical of the government following his imprisonment for refusing to pay a poll tax, as he articulated in his essay 'Civil Disobedience', advocating for passive resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thoreau's general opinion of government, particularly in relation to his imprisonment as described in Civil Disobedience, is best characterized by his critical stance. Due to his refusal to pay a poll tax supporting the Mexican War and slavery, he was jailed, leading him to pen the renowned essay. In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau articulates his conviction that passive resistance is a just man's response to an unjust government, laying the groundwork for nonviolent protest. His writings inspired leaders such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
Thoreau's general opinion of government became more critical after his imprisonment, as described in 'Civil Disobedience.' He believed that under a government that unjustly imprisons its citizens, the just man's true place is in prison. Thoreau's activism and imprisonment solidified his belief in passive resistance and nonviolent protest against unjust government actions. His writings on civil disobedience inspired influential figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.