What was the significance of Thoreau's comparing the nation's "establishment" with the "households" of its citizens?

Thoreau wanted to show that a household does not need to be an establishment full of wealth and furniture, as households simply exist, without the need for luxury.

Although you have not shown the text that your question refers to, we can see from the context of your question that you are referring to "Walden" written by Thoreau.

This book was written when Thoreau was living alone in the desert, where he reflected on many points of society. In this book, we can find concepts such as:

Thoreau's thoughts manage to fit into our society and even with all modernity, we can see that he had a very punctual reading about humanity and our relationship with wealth and with the individuals around us.

You can find more information about Thoreau at the link below:

in 1862, president lincoln's emancipation proclamation opened the door for african americans to enlist in the union army. although many had wanted to join the war effort earlier, they were prohibited from enlisting by a federal law dating back to 1792.

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