Henry David Thoreau was born David Henry Thoreau, named after his recently deceased paternal uncle, David Thoreau. He began to call himself Henry David after he finished college; but never petitioned to make a legal name change. [1]
Henry David Thoreau is rather a hero of mine. He was a man 200 years ahead of his time – an atheist, conservationist, vegetarian, abolitionist, and so much more!
Thoreau was born on 12 July 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts, the third of four children in the family of John Thoreau, a pencil manufacturer, and Cynthia Dunbar Thoreau. Raised in a home that valued education, he grew up in a rural, quiet town that would later become deeply intertwined with his philosophical and literary work.
Thoreau’s early years were a mix of home comfort and connections to the natural world. Though not wealthy, his father provided for the family through his successful pencil business, and his mother, a teacher, encouraged his intellectual curiosity from a young age. Thoreau attended the local school, where he was a bright and inquisitive student and was particularly drawn to the natural world. This fascination would define much of his later life.
In 1833 Thoreau entered Harvard College to continue his academic interests. However, he grew disillusioned with the conventional education system, rejecting traditional forms of authority. This sentiment would evolve into his broader philosophy of individualism and civil disobedience. After graduating in 1837, he returned to Concord and briefly tried his hand at teaching before becoming more devoted to his writing and his observations of nature.
If you ever get the chance, visit Walden Pond outside Concord. It is where Thoreau went into the woods to “live deliberately” and there is a replica there of his simple cabin, a memorial to him, and all the beauty he loved is still there because it is now protected. Walking round the pond, seeing the trees reflected in the water, thinking of Thoreau’s beautiful nature descriptions in his writings, is pure magic!
Henry David Thoreau died on 6 May 1862, aged 44.
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