1. AP English Language and Composition
Henry David Thoreau
AP English Language and Composition

3. Thoreau’s Legacy
Author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, surveyor, and naturalist
His lasting contributions are his writings on natural history and philosophy, where he anticipated the methods and findings of ecology and environmental history, two sources of modern-day environmentalism
Lectured throughout his life against institution of slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act
Defended radical abolitionist, John Brown
Influenced political thoughts and actions of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

4. Most Notable Works
Walden (reflection on living simply in natural surroundings)
“Civil Disobedience” (advocated for peaceful resistance to government when government becomes unjust)
*You will be reading excerpts of both

5. Timeline of Thoreau’s Life
1817 – 1862
Born in Concord, Massachusetts
Family was cultured and free-thinking but relatively poor
Family made a living producing homemade pencils

6.
1837- Graduated from Harvard College (studied rhetoric, the classics, philosophy, math, and science). College grads could go into medicine, law, business, or the church (none interested Thoreau)
Taught at a grammar school but resigned because he didn’t want to inflict corporal punishment
Opened his own grammar school with his brother in Concord in Introduced several progressive concepts including nature walks and visits to local shops

7. Early 1840s
Exposed to Transcendentalism movement through his friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson, a prominent philosopher, essayist, and poet
Thoreau lived at Emerson’s house ( ). Served as children’s tutor, editorial assistant to Emerson, and maintenance worker/gardener
He also worked as a surveyor during this time and in the family pencil factory

8. July 4, 1845
He moved into a cabin he built on Walden Pond (Emerson’s land)
He lived there two years and wrote Walden
His isolation during this period is slightly exaggerated

9. July 1846
On a trip to Concord, he was imprisoned for not paying a poll tax (a tax incurred to vote)
He refused to pay the poll tax because the government was using the money to further the Mexican War and expand slavery
He wrote about the experience in a famous essay entitled “Civil Disobedience”

10. 1850s
Thoreau took a vocal role in the Abolitionist movement (lectured and wrote essays)
He personally assisted fugitive slaves on the Underground Railroad
Became increasingly fascinated with natural history

11. 1862 – Death
Contracted tuberculosis in Suffered on and off with disease. Became ill with bronchitis in Struggled with health for three years before eventual death

12. 20th and 21st Centuries His work continues to impact American culture
Thoreau influenced the sentiments of the counterculture movements during the Vietnam War and Civil Rights era
Thoreau’s works inspired young Americans to express their disavowal of official U.S. policies and declare independence of ideas, even at the risk of arrest
“Civil Disobedience” is still practiced today (peaceful protests)

13. Walden (or Life in the Woods)

14. Actual Site of Cabin

15. Replica of Thoreau’s Cabin

16. Inside the Cabin

17. Walden Pond

18. Composition of Walden
Structure of the Book – Thoreau spent 26 months at Walden Pond (2 years, 2 months, and 2 days); however, his novel begins in early summer and commences the following spring, thus creating a cyclical structure (summer, fall, winter, spring)

19. Composition of Walden
Publishing of the Book – Walden took 7 years to write, including 8 complete revisions before a publisher agreed to publish the work

20. Main Ideas of Walden
Man, made to be free, has not only been enslaved but has enslaved himself
The path to individual freedom arises from self-reliance gained through simplifying life
Health and happiness can best be achieved through living in close contact with nature
Truth should be valued more than love, money, or fame