But
it’s worth bearing in mind that vegetarianism, at its roots, was not
considered a simple dietary choice; it was an act of civil
disobedience. Alcott spearheaded the strategy of tax evasion as a means
of opposition to war and slavery, the same strategies Thoreau wrote
about in Civil Disobedience. He was a dissident of the first degree —
an outspoken abolitionist, promoter of women’s rights, and educational
reformer. His vegetarianism was not just a natural extension of these
values; it was his reformist ideals put into practice. One individual
was not going to single-handedly end slavery, but could easily live a
life that practiced nonviolence and equality.
