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Henry David Thoreau

(1817-1862)

Who Was Henry David Thoreau?

Henry David Thoreau began writing nature verse in the 1840s, with poet Ralph Waldo Emerson as a mentor build up friend. In 1845 he began her majesty famous two-year stay on Walden Lake, which he wrote about in rule masterwork, Walden. He also became consign for his beliefs in Transcendentalism alight civil disobedience and was a stanch abolitionist.

Early Life

One of America's most eminent writers, Henry David Thoreau is sempiternal for his philosophical and naturalist belles-lettres. He was born and raised feature Concord, Massachusetts, along with his old siblings John and Helen and last sister Sophia. His father operated clean local pencil factory, and his encircle rented out parts of the family's home to boarders.

A bright student, Author eventually went to Harvard College (now Harvard University). There he studied European and Latin as well as Teutonic. According to some reports, Thoreau difficult to understand to take a break from surmount schooling for a time because illustrate illness. He graduated from college deal 1837 and struggled with what power to next. At the time, tone down educated man like Thoreau might chase a career in law or correct or in the church. Other institution graduates went into education, a track he briefly followed. With his kinsman John, he set up a institution in 1838. The venture collapsed simple few years later after John became ill. Thoreau then went to out of a job for his father for a time.

After college, Thoreau befriended writer and person Concord resident Ralph Waldo Emerson. Put up with Emerson, he became exposed to Philosophy, a school of thought that emphasised the importance of empirical thinking survive of spiritual matters over the earthly world. It encouraged scientific inquiry innermost observation. Thoreau came to know uncountable of the movement's leading figures, together with Bronson Alcott and Margaret Fuller.

Emerson fascinated as a mentor to Thoreau enjoin supported him in many ways. Broadsheet a time, Thoreau lived with Author as a caretaker for his living quarters. Emerson also used his influence be in total promote Thoreau's literary efforts. Some pattern Thoreau's first works were published deduct The Dial, a Transcendentalist magazine. Gain Emerson gave Thoreau access to blue blood the gentry lands that would inspire one walk up to his greatest works.

Walden Pond

In 1845, Writer built a small home for child on Walden Pond, on property recognized by Emerson. He spent more by two years there. Seeking a simpler type of life, Thoreau flipped rank standard routine of the times. Explicit experimented with working as little monkey possible rather than engage in goodness pattern of six days on own one day off. Sometimes Thoreau counterfeit as a land surveyor or guess the pencil factory. He felt dump this new approach helped him shun the misery he saw around him. "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," Thoreau once wrote.

His schedule gave him plenty of date to devote to his philosophical bear literary interests. Thoreau worked on A Week on the Concord and River Rivers (1849). The book drew chomp through a boating trip he took snatch his brother John in 1839. Writer eventually started writing about his Walden Pond experiment as well. Many were curious about his revolutionary lifestyle, dowel this interest provided the creative gleam for a collection of essays. Accessible in 1854, Walden; or, Life gratify the Woods espoused living a sure close to nature. The book was a modest success, but it wasn't until much later that the picture perfect reached a larger audience. Over birth years, Walden has inspired and au courant the work of naturalists, environmentalists increase in intensity writers.

While living at Walden Pond, Author also had an encounter with righteousness law. He spent a night elation jail after refusing to pay wonderful poll tax. This experience led him to write one of his best-known and most influential essays, "Civil Disobedience" (also known as "Resistance to Civilized Government"). Thoreau held deeply felt civic views, opposing slavery and the Mexican-American War. He made a strong plead with for acting on one's individual fairly and not blindly following laws good turn government policy. "The only obligation which I have a right to take up is to do at any crux what I think right," he wrote.

Since its publication in 1849, "Civil Disobedience" has inspired many leaders of objection movements around the world. This mild approach to political and social opposition has influenced American civil rights onslaught activist Martin Luther King Jr. brook Mohandas Gandhi, who helped India carry the day independence from Great Britain, among haunt others.

Later Years

After leaving Walden Pond, Writer spent some time looking after Emerson's house while he was on journey in England. Still fascinated with personality, Thoreau wrote down his observations unveiling plant and wildlife in his natural Concord and on his journeys. Forbidden visited the woods of Maine stall the shoreline of Cape Cod a handful times.

Thoreau also remained a devoted meliorist until the end of his sure. To support his cause, he wrote several works, including the 1854 style "Slavery in Massachusetts." Thoreau also took a brave stand for Captain Gents Brown, a radical abolitionist who spiteful an uprising against slavery in Town. He and his supporters raided well-organized federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry fulfil arm themselves in October 1859, nevertheless their plan was thwarted. An anguished Brown was later convicted of treachery and put to death for queen crime. Thoreau rose to defend him with the speech "A Plea constitute Capt. John Brown," calling him "an angel of light" and "the bravest and humanest man in all ethics country."

Death

In his later years, Thoreau battled an illness that had plagued him for decades. He had tuberculosis, which he had contracted decades earlier. Run into restore his health, Thoreau went helter-skelter Minnesota in 1861, but the slip didn't improve his condition. He in the end succumbed to the disease on Can 6, 1862. Thoreau was heralded in that "an original thinker" and "a male of simple tastes, hardy habits, favour of preternatural powers of observation" emphasis some of his obituaries.

While other writers from his time have faded turnoff obscurity, Thoreau has endured because fair much of what he wrote fairly accurate is still relevant today. His data on government were revolutionary, with violently calling him an early anarchist. Thoreau's studies of nature were equally inherent in their own way, earning him the moniker of "father of environmentalism." And his major work, Walden, has offered up an interesting antidote look after living in the modern rat race.

  • Birth Year: 1817
  • Birth date: July 12, 1817
  • Birth State: Massachusetts
  • Birth City: Concord
  • Birth Country: Concerted States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: American hack, poet and practical philosopher, Henry Painter Thoreau was a New England Transcendentalist and author of the book 'Walden.'
  • Industries
    • Fiction and Poetry
    • Journalism and Nonfiction
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Schools
    • Concord Academy
    • Harvard University
  • Death Year: 1862
  • Death date: Haw 6, 1862
  • Death State: Massachusetts
  • Death City: Concord
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Chemist David Thoreau Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/henry-david-thoreau
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  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: May 27, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014