Henry David Thoreau

Wheeler-Minot Farmhouse, Concord MA

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Thoreau sites in Walden Pond

Walden Thoreau

VII. Rowse

Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, Thoreau is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Civil Disobedience, an argument for disobedience to an unjust state.

Early Life

Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, to John Thoreau and Cynthia Dunbar. He was educated at Harvard University, where he studied classics and philosophy. After graduating in 1837, Thoreau struggled to find his place in the world. He worked at a family pencil factory and briefly taught school before turning to writing and philosophy.

Walden

In 1845, Thoreau began his experiment in simple living on the shores of Walden Pond in Concord. He built a small cabin and lived there for two years, two months, and two days, a period during which he sought to reduce his needs to the essentials and learn to live self-sufficiently. The experience formed the basis of Walden, published in 1854, which espouses the virtues of simplicity, self-reliance, and closeness to nature.

Civil Disobedience

Thoreau's essay Civil Disobedience, originally titled Resistance to Civil Government, was inspired by his 1846 imprisonment for refusing to pay a poll tax that supported the Mexican–American War and slavery. In it, Thoreau argues that individuals should not permit governments to overrule their consciences and that they have a duty to avoid allowing their acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice.

Later Life and Death

Thoreau's later years were marked by his deepening engagement with natural history and his contributions to the abolitionist movement. He delivered lectures that were later published, such as Slavery in Massachusetts and A Plea for Captain John Brown. Thoreau died of tuberculosis in 1862, at the age of 44, in Concord.

Legacy

Thoreau's work has had a lasting impact on American thought and literature. His advocacy for living a life of simplicity and his belief in the sanctity of the individual's conscience have inspired countless readers and influenced leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.. Thoreau's writings on natural history and science underscore his belief in the interconnectedness of all life and have anticipated modern ecological and environmental thinking.