Henry David Thoreau

1. Henry David Thoreau Biography

2. Place of birth • Concord, MA Date of birth • July 12, 1817

3. Date of death • May 6, 1862 • Concord, MA Place of death Burial location • Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, MA • (Bonus: who else is buried here?)

4. Interesting facts about childhood • He worked in his father’s pencil factory • Graduated from Harvard • Never married

5. Place(s) where this author lived. Include dates and explain how each place influenced them. • Concord, MA – childhood • Boston, MA – went to Harvard 1833-37 • Lived w/Emerson 1841-44, 1847-48; E was mentor • Walden Pond – 1845-47; wrote Walden

6. How did this author become inspired to write? • Nature • Individualism • Abolitionism

7. Where applicable, explain any obstacles this writer faced • His first two books didn’t sell well (A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers and Walden). • Critics didn’t take him seriously as a writer during his lifetime

8. How successful was this author during his/her lifetime? • First two books didn’t sell well • Critics didn’t take him seriously • However, lived according to his own principle of simplicity

9. If the author wasn’t successful or popular at the time of their death, explain how and why they are still well known today • Biography published in England in 1890 • Mahatma Gandhi read Walden in 1906 and recommended widely • Other famous leaders have cited Walden as an influence

10. Why is this author considered influential? • Creator of the idea of “civil disobedience” • Many leaders and activists have borrowed his ideas, including • Gandhi • MLK • Nelson Mandela • Vietnam War activists

11. Identify five (5) characteristics of this author and give specific examples • Loved nature – inspired by it • Thoughtful – philosophical essays • Innovative – improved pencil making • Independent – lived life on his own terms