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Henry David Thoreau. 1817-1862. Born and raised in Concord, Massachusetts Was known to be “eccentric” as a child—didn’t like to follow rules His mother convinced him to pursue an education Thoreau attended Concord Academy, then Harvard University.
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Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862
Born and raised in Concord, Massachusetts • Was known to be “eccentric” as a child—didn’t like to follow rules • His mother convinced him to pursue an education • Thoreau attended Concord Academy, then Harvard University
After graduating from Harvard, he became a teacher • His objection to corporal punishment forced him to quit his first teaching job • He then opened a school with his brother John in Concord, but they had to close it down when John became ill
1842, Thoreau moved into the house of Ralph Waldo Emerson • He lived there for two years and performed odd jobs to pay for his room and board • Thoreau was fascinated with Emerson’s Transcendentalist beliefs
Thoreau became immersed in the Transcendentalist lifestyle—he quit teaching, refused to pursue another career and dedicated himself to testing the Transcendentalist philosophy • For two years he lived alone in a cabin he built himself at Walden Pond outside of Concord • His experiences there are captured in Walden which is considered his masterpiece
