Henry David Thoreau Research Paper

He was an unorthodox writer who urged the capability of free thought and the importance of nature in constructing not only self-reliance, but also self-actualization and moral sense. Since he valued open-minded thinking, importance of nature, and self-reliance, Thoreau lived as a free spirit who did not need materialism.

During the mid 19th century, when Walden was written and published, our large, young nation was filled with forward seeking people. As the nation grew, borders expand and thousand are looking west to build better lives for their families. Our nation was just in between the American Revolution and World War 1. Our nation slowly developed from an agricultural and rural society to industrial. The country had grown with the addition

of Texas to the United States, and also Mexican land from the war with Mexico.
The large influx of settlers in the west gave changes in American politics. American politics during the 1840’s focused on mainly two important issues of the time. The two topics were the building of the nation and slavery. America two political parties were now the Democratic Party and the Whig Party. One year before Walden was published James Polk was elected as our nations president. Polk was directly involved in adding a million of square miles of land to the territory. This gave people more room to branch out and expand even more, since Manifest Destiny was strictly encouraged. Out and expand even more
Many during this expansion era sought out social reforms. They did this because they believed that social reforms would improve their society. After the 1820’s, women’s rights began to develop and receive more attention. In 1848, New York State starts the women’s suffrage movement (WR News). Also education became a priority for many, and many Americans demanded better education and a broader range of school. All of these types of reforms, and slavery occurred around the time Walden was written and published.
From the 1840’s to around the 1890’s experienced considerable economic variations and comprehensive growth. Many factors were involved in this transformation. We were now becoming a more industrial nation, one with a larger scale of businesses and banks. There was now superior transportation and services. And also one with improved inventions for everyday life. Many new changes were happening throughout the United States that made it an exceptional place to live and grow. Throughout the United States that made it an exceptional
The freethinking writer was born in Concord Massachusetts on July 12, 1818, only 20 miles west of Boston. He would live the majority of his life in that same town and die there in 1862. The Thoreau family had three other children- Helen, five years older than Henry, John, Jr., two years older, and Sophia, two years younger. His fathers name was John, and ran a successful pencil business. His mothers name was Cynthia Dunbar Thoreau; she sometimes took in boarders for income (Becher).
Henry attended both public school and the private Concord Academy, and then eventually studied at Harvard (Schneider).

Thoreau was very bright, and finished Harvard in the top half of his class. While at college, he studied He also took courses in mathematics, English, history, and mental, natural, and intellectual philosophy (Witherell, Dubrulle).

After graduating, Thoreau accepted a job as a schoolteacher in Concord. He did not keep that job long and resigned after only two weeks of being a teacher there (Schneider). That same year, Thoreau began to keep a journal, for which he would write in frequently. That same year, Thoreau

Thoreau decided to return to Concord and open a school with his brother John (Witherell, Dubrulle). Concord Academy differed from other schools in its lack of strict punishment and encouragement of learning. Their school was successful in captivating students but only lasted a short three years. John became sick and Thoreau decided not to continue running the school alone. Later he worked as a handyman throughout Concord and helped out in the family's pencil business. According to the Poetry Foundation, he built a small cabin by a pond, named Walden Pond in 1845, which would inspire him to write on of his most famous and well-known essays, Walden. After living a year at Walden Pond, Henry lived with Ralph Waldo Emerson while he was away on lecture in

Europe.
Towards the end of Thoreau’s life he worked in his family’s business and also did some surveying jobs. Him working as a surveyor gave him plenty of opportunity’s to precede with his study of nature. Before he died of tuberculosis in 1862, with the help of his sister Sophia, he prepared some his last greatest works. These included “Life without Principle” and “Wild Apples.” In these late essays, he returns to themes he showed in Walden, but more in depth and complex than before.
In his first chapter, "Economy," Thoreau presences his purpose in writing his essay, saying he intends to answer questions people have asked about his reasons for living alone in a cabin in the woods near Walden Pond for two years. Some of the points he tries to make are how people live their lives following the ways of their parents and slave away on their property trying to make a life for their families. Thoreau however, desired to discover the true factors of life and he built a cabin.
Moving on to chapters two through four, "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Henry talks about how he created a new existence for himself at Walden, where he found joy and fulfillment in nature. Simplicity is the key to happiness, according to the author. He then goes on into to writing how he enjoys reading from great authors such as Homer, men who speak the truth. Henry David believes that society is wasting their time reading newspaper and fiction. Thoreau spent his time during his first summer at Walden hoeing beans, rather than reading, or sitting all morning watching and listening to the birds. As he is listening, a train passes by, breaking the silence, reminding him that industrialization is destroying nature.
In the fifth chapter, "Solitude," Thoreau feels so connected with nature that he laughs at the thought of people assuming he is lonely. As we continue on into chapters six, seven and eight, the author is pleased that no one visits him with their petty problems at his time at Walden. Also, he believes that you should enjoy your work, rather then just see the means of profit. When Thoreau does go to town he will get glares and invasive treatment from the locals. Thoreau describes a feeling of animality that occasionally comes across him, making him want to devour a woodchuck raw, he makes that very clear in this quote,” “I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one ”(157).
We move onto chapter thirteen, "House-warming." In this chapter Thoreau is describing the winter months. As the weather grows colder in October and November, he builds a chimney and plasters the inside of his walls. When the pond freezes, he studies the bottom of the lake and the formation of ice bubbles within the ice itself. In the chapters following this one, he continues to study the lake and the scenery around him.
He explains he left Walden because he had many more lives to live. “I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one” (Thoreau 240). He urges his readers to turn to spiritual journeys of discovering ones self, to find happiness in nature rather than material items; and to avoid conforming to others and just live how you want to live.