Henry David Thoreau Elizabeth Clerke

7th Period

Life

•Born- July 12, 1817, Concord, MA•Died- May 6, 1862, Concord, MA•Writer, teacher, transcendentalist, naturalist, and philosopher

“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.”

Religious and philosophical movement Belief that humans are inherently good Society and its institutions will corrupt

people Value on nature

Transcendentalism

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

Abolitionist- outspoken critic of slavery and its atrocities

Despised materialism- believed in simplicity ◦ Dangerous to the environment◦ Dangerous to health- mental and physical- only

a few reach the wealthy upper class; it causes unnecessary stress

Critic of city life- valued nature over urban life Critic of taxes- believed that they were unjust Believed that America valued commerce too

highly, causes less value on one’s inner self

Criticisms of American Society

“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”

Critic of organized religion- a corrupt institution that can corrupt inherently good individuals

Critic of political parties- corrupts people’s purity

Critic of codependence- each individual should be able to live without anyone else

Critic of a purely intellectual state of mind- value on the spiritual and emotional aspects

Critic of waste

Criticisms of American Society

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

As an abolitionist he was a major figure in the underground railroad

He once spent a night in jail to protest slavery and the Civil War

Simplicity- Thoreau lived on borrowed land from Emerson for years to prove the importance of simplicity

His ability to live in the woods for many years proved that a simplistic life style was possible and it inspired other

Methods to improve American Life

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.”

He was a major writer of his time- he wrote about his beliefs and views on life ◦ Wrote about the two years he spent living on Emerson’s

pond and the importance of simplicity in his book – Walden◦ Wrote Resistance to Civil Government- an essay

advocating rebellion against an unjust government◦ Wrote a great number of poems displaying his

transcendentalist views ◦ Wrote many published articles on the government and

social values Thoreau dedicated his life to create an original

American literature and philosophy to display his beliefs

Methods to improve American Life

“Not until we are lost, do we begin to find ourselves.”

He was unpopular in his lifetime His work inspired many later generations His essay Civil Disobedience inspired many

peaceful protests held in the future ◦ Martin Luther King Jr. valued his essay and used it as an

inspirational guide throughout the Civil Rights Movement ◦ Mahatma Gandhi recommended Thoreau’s essay and

used it to help lead his revolution against the British Inspired environmental consciousness- the first

preservation of forests and wildlife Played an important role in gaining freedom for

many slaves and led other to become abolitionists

Success in Promoting Reform

“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.”

He was a crucial historical figure, as a writer, philosopher, and inventor

He influenced a future movement for basic rights- the civil rights movement

He influenced the preservation of the environment- the wilderness protection movement

He placed a value on peace- influencing hippies and peaceful protests

He created the modern American pencil by introducing clay into the manufacture of graphite (pencil "lead”)

Why is He Interesting?

“This world is but a canvas to our imagination.”

While cooking his dinner on a hike in Walden Woods on 30 April 1844, 26-year-old Thoreau set a fire that burned more than 100 acres

He graduated from Harvard When he graduated he refused to pay the 5

dollar fee to receive his diploma- he graduated without one

He was best friends with another famous transcendentalist- Ralph Waldo Emerson

He valued the ancient Indian Vedas and their timelessness

Why is He Interesting?

“This world is but a canvas to our imagination.”

Simplicity◦ Thoreau went to the extreme in this aspect, living with only three

chairs in his house ◦ He spent may years living in the wilderness ◦ He wanted Americans to be able to live independently- unrealistic

with specialization◦ Simplicity unrealistic for the industrializing American nation that

placed value on possessions, technology, and often extravagance Human Ecology

◦ He valued nature and people relationship with it◦ He found nature more important than city life◦ Unrealistic for an urbanizing nation

Many of his goals were realistic ◦ Civil Disobedience was proven to contain realistic goals for

Americans by Martin Luther King Jr.

Impractical Goals

“Things do not change; we change.”

He created the modern American pencilHis philosophy of civil disobedience inspired many later reform leader such as MLK and GandhiHe created the idea of peaceful reform He was a major transcendentalist figure and inspired many future transcendentalists He helped to create an original American literature- poems, novels, etc.- and philosophyHis poetry is hugely famous and still valued today, withstanding the test of time He is still considered an important historical figure- he became an eternally known writer, thinker, and naturalist

Lasting Impacts

“The language of friendship is not words but meanings.”

“The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.”

“There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

Portuguese

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"Henry David Thoreau ."  Online.  25 October 2013.  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki Henry_David_Thoreau>.

"Henry David Thoreau: Who He Was & Why He Matters."  Online.  27 October 2013.   http://thoreau.eserver.org/whowhy.html.

"Henry David Thoreau Quotes."  Online.  28 October 2013.  <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henry_david_thoreau.html>.

"The Writings of Henry David Thoreau."  Online.  28 October 2013.  <http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu/

thoreau_life.html>.

Works Cited