Profile of the Day: Henry David Thoreau
Today marks writer Henry David Thoreau’s 205th birthday!
Image: Henry David Thoreau / Wikimedia Commons
He was born David Henry Thoreau on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts to John Thoreau, a pencil maker, and Cynthia Dunbar. His maternal grandfather, Asa Dunbar, had led Harvard’s 1766 “Butter Rebellion,” the first recorded student protest in the colonies.
Thoreau was a leading transcendentalist and naturalist and often wrote about nature and the environment. He is best remembered for his novel Walden, which reflected on living a simple life close to nature. Thoreau was also an abolitionist and wrote about his political views. His essay, “Civil Disobedience,” is often regarded as one of his best known and influential essays, and inspired other notable leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
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