Henry David Thoreau Biography

American Author, Naturalist, Critic, Known for Transcendentalism

Jul 12, 2008
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American Novelist Henry David Thoreau - Wikimedia Commons

Biography of Henry David Thoreau, writer, transcendentalist and political activist, famous for his book 'Walden' and essay 'Civil Disobedience.'

Thoreau is known for transcendentalism, simple living, and for his strong political views. He wrote the famous book Walden or Life in the Woods and the essay "Civil Disobedience." He was greatly influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson and British writer Thomas Carlyle.

Early Life of Henry David Thoreau

David Henry Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, US, the son of a pencil maker, John Thoreau and Cynthia Dunbar. His paternal grandfather was of French origin. Named after his paternal uncle, David Thoreau, he became Henry David only after college, although he never petitioned to make it legal.

Thoreau was educated at Harvard University when he was just 16. He graduated in 1837, at 20 years old, the same year that Ralph Waldo Emerson gave his famous address urging American scholars to create a new culture separate from European influences. Thoreau became a good friend and follower of Emerson. He was also an acquaintance of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Simple Life at Walden Pond

At 27, he built a small cabin on Walden Pond near Concord, where he lived alone for over two years. He wrote about his time there, recording his daily thoughts and activities and described the environment going on around the pond. These observations and reflections became the source of one of his most important works, Walden, published when he was 37.

The book, however, went beyond just an observation for it had a message, a call for people to live simple lives, in harmony with nature and no surpluses of unwanted possessions.

Thoreau's Essay "Civil Disobedience"

When Thoreau was 29, he was imprisoned briefly for refusing to pay his taxes, which he did to express his opposition to slavery. This event in his life prompted him to write his essay "Civil Disobedience," in which he explained his belief that the government exists for the people, and therefore the people are more important.

Thoreau's Legacy

The beliefs and ideologies of Henry David Thoreau, most especially the importance of an individual and simple living, were great influences to 20th century prominent reformers who later adopted them, for example, Martin Luther King, in his 1960s civil rights movement, Mahatma Gandhi (India), and Leo Tolstoy (Russia.) Thoreau died at the age of 44, on May 6, 1862.