Henry David ThoreauBy: Chelsea Williams

Table of Contents

Early life and educationJobs and hobbiesPersonal beliefsSocial/Political influenceWritingsDeath

Early life and education Born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817 Thoreau was named after a deceased uncle, named David Henry. He was more David Henry did not become Henry David until after

college. Henry never petitioned to make a legal name change. 2 older siblings, Helen and John Jr. and a younger sister, Sophia. Henry attended the public school in Concord and the private Concord

Academy. Unlike his brother, John, Henry was proven a better scholar and

attended Harvard University. He did well but had to drop out later due to financial and healthy reasons. He graduated at the top of his class in 1837.

Jobs and Hobbies When Thoreau left Harvard, he taught at a school in Canton,

Massachusetts Joined the faculty of the Concord public school. Started a grammar school with the help of his brother, John. After John died, Thoreau met up with Ralph Waldo Emerson and

got advice from him. He was then influenced to contribute essays and poems to “The Dial”, a quarterly periodical.

After moving into the Emerson house, he began tutoring children, assisting editors and was a repair man/gardener.

While returning to Concord, he worked in his family’s pencil factory where he remained for most of his adult life.

Jobs and Hobbies continued…

Henry invented a process to make a better pencil out of interior graphite using clay as the binder.

Later in 1851, Henry became interested in natural history and travel narratives.

He kept a series of notebooks and observed nature. Henry did several travels which influenced a lot of

his writings.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to

teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Personal Beliefs

Henry was one of the first supporters of Darwin’s theory. Loves wilderness and nature. He believes that people should

conserve natural resources on private land while preserving wilderness on public land.

Preferred being a vegetarian. He liked balance of civilization and wilderness. He was a

“middle ground” believer. Hiked and canoed. Did not believe in slavery. He tried to find joy, creativeness, and happiness each day of

his life.

Social/Political Influence

Writings influenced many political leaders. Ex. “Civil Disobedience”

Martin Luther King Jr. got the idea of non-violent resistance by reading “Civil Disobedience”.

Also influenced authors and artists such as B.F. Skinner who kept a copy of “Walden” with him for ideas and inspiration.

Henry has several famous quotes and some of them are posted in previous and upcoming slides.

He used a lot of his nature studies and personal beliefs in his writings.

He was a very influential person.

Death Henry David Thoreau died on May 6, 1862 at the age of 44.

He was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1835 and continued to suffer from it until his death. In 1858, Henry became ill with bronchitis. He soon was bedridden and died of bad health. He knew he was dying and had time to warn his friends and family and accept it for himself. His last words were “Now comes good sailing” and then pronounced “moose” and “Indian”.

WritingsHenry David Thoreau wrote several books, poetry, and essays. Some of his most famous works include: Walden Civil Disobedience Herald of Freedom Summer Winter Autumn Sir Walter Raleigh Conscience Slavery in Massachusetts Walking

Walden 1854 Based off of Henry’s hometown, Concord,

Massachusetts. Henry had a lot of imagination and made everyday

a good day, or tried to. In Walden, Thoreau devotes a lot of his time to nature and survives by using any material he can that he is surrounded by.

Walden is a pond and he gets creative by trying to find a way to leave after being there for 2 years.

Henry is basically giving a message to the audience saying that we should live our lives to the fullest.

Civil Disobedience 1849

Civil Disobedience is an essay in which Henry is arguing about the government. He is opposed to them and is explaining that people should do what they think is right and not be obligated to because someone of higher authority is telling them to.

Henry covers several topics but it makes people see government and how it actually is, in his point of view.

Conscience This poem is basically saying that people should

have backbones and to take up where God left off. A conscience can be sorrowful or joyful and it is

up to humans to ignore bad consciences and to move on with our lives.