Comparing The Boston Tea Party, The Salt March, And The Civil Rights Movement

According to Oscar Wilde, disobedience is a valuable human trait that promotes social progress. Civil disobedience allows for the unification of various groups to fight towards a common goal, often resulting in change. Historically, there has been much evidence supporting Wilde’s claim. Significant examples of disobedience that led to social progress include the Boston Tea Party, the Salt March, and the Civil Rights Movement.

The Boston Tea Party, which occurred in the late 1700s, was an example of civil disobedience that led to social progress. In a political protest in response to the Tea Act, The Sons of Liberty seized a shipment of tea from the East India Company and dumped it into the harbour. The act of taxing angered the colonists and resulted in the formation of the slogan “no taxation without representation.” The defiance of the protestors ultimately led to the War of Independence, establishing the United States of America as a sovereign state. The separation from the British, due to Americans lack of representation in parliament, allowed for social progress. This historical event had an everlasting impact on American society, as it granted freedom of religion and speech to all citizens, and allowed

Gandhi developed the idea of satyagraha which centered around nonviolent resistance to opposition and evil. The goal of this march was to protest the taxation on salt production and transport in India by the British government. Gandhi's march sparked a wave of civil disobedience which contributed to the expulsion of the British empire. This march had a long term effect, as it inspired many to take part in a successful, organized civil protest. Furthermore, the protest stimulated further motivation for other disobedience and influenced the thinking of many civil disobedience leaders, such as Martin Luther King during the Civil rights