Though the traditional interpretation of civil disobedience translates into the dangerous transgression of social norms that contribute to maintaining societal relationships equal and legally appropriate, however, during the era of slavery and the conception of the abolitionist movement, civil disobedience, particularly in the context of the abolitionist movement, implied fighting for the rights of slaves.
Specifically, civil disobedience suggested the rejection of European colonialism and the ideas that it reinforced. In practice, for Thoreau, the specified concept meant active resistance, specifically, participation in building the Underground Railroad as the means of assisting African Americans in their escape from slavery. Specifically, for Thoreau and other abolitionists, civil disobedience implied restoring social justice even in the context where fighting for the rights of the oppressed is deemed illegal.