Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_David_Thoreau.jpg

BiographyBiographyBorn on 1817Died 1862 of tuberculosis. Was a writer and a poet.Close friend of Emerson’s

BackgroundBackgroundThoreau graduated from Harvard

in 1837.He lived in Concord

Massachusetts with his brotherHe was a student of Emerson.In 1845

Profession Profession He taught briefly at Concord’s

Elementary School before he resigned. He started his own academy with his brother in 1838 and later taught Emerson’s children in 1843

Transcendentalist Transcendentalist MovementMovementHis main inspiration in getting

involved in the transcendental movement was his mentor Emerson.

He believed in transcendentalism which means the soul of each individual is identical with the soul of the world and contains what the world contains.

Contribution To Contribution To TranscendentalismTranscendentalismHe wrote many books and essays that

reflected the cause of the movement.Books and essays included: “The Maine

Woods” – 1848, “Civil Disobedience” - 1849, “ A Yankee In Canada – 1853”, “Walden” – 1854,“Cape Cod” – 1855, and a final group of essays in 1861.

In addition to his other pursuits such as boating, hiking, surveying, studying Native American culture, conversing, and lecturing, Thoreau devoted himself increasingly to activist social concerns.

Contribution To Contribution To Transcendentalism (Cont.)Transcendentalism (Cont.)He opposed the government for

waging the Mexican war. Joined John’s Brown movement to

end slavery. He lectured against slavery in an

abolitionist lecture.

Works CitedWorks CitedGlick, Wendell. "Henry David Thoreau ." Cengage

Learning. 22 Apr. 2009 <http://college.cengage.com/english/lauter/heath/4e/students/author_pages/early_nineteenth/ thoreau_he.html>.

Hampson, Thomas. "Henry David Thoreau." I Hear American Singing. 22 Apr. 2009 <http://www.pbs.org/ wnet/ihas/poet/thoreau.html>.

Woodlief, Ann. "Henry David Thoreau." American Transcendentalism Web. 22 Apr. 2009 <http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/>.