Walden
Henry David Thoreau
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Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is philosophical movement that began in 1928 in the Eastern region of the United States, particularly in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It started as a protest against the general spirituality and state of intellectualism at Harvard University. Transcendentalists believe that both humans and nature are intrinsically good and kind. They believe that the church, government, and society in general corrupt the purity of the person. Rather than relying on these institutions, transcendentalists assert that people are at best when they live independently and are self-sufficient. The movement spread rapidly as Ralph Waldo Emerson entered the movement’s leadership. Famous transcendentalists include Elizabeth Peabody. Walt Whitman, and Henry David Thoreau
About Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord Massachusetts. He had two older siblings and one younger sister. His mother rented rooms in the house to boarders, and his father owned a pencil factory. Thoreau attended Harvard College and studied Greek, Latin, and German. He graduated in 1837 and set up a school with his brother in 1838. Thoreau became friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson, which was how he was exposed to Transcendentalism. Thoreau lived with Emerson as a caretaker for his house. A Transcendentalist magazine was one of the first to publish Thoreau’s work. Thoreau then went to live at Walden Pond in 1845 where he lived a secluded life devoted to nature. He also wrote “Civil Disobedience” in 1849 which was his nonviolent approach to political resistance. When Thoreau left Walden Pond, he visited other places and wrote down his observations of nature. He later developed tuberculosis and died in 1862.
