Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

1845-1847 He lived for two years, two months, and two days by Walden Pond in Concord, Massachussetts.

Biography

Friend and student of Ralph Waldo Emerson

He who cannot read is worse than deaf and blind, is yet but half alive, is still-born.

—Journal, 10 March 1856

Thoreau’s Simple Life at Walden

Henry David Thoreau Tour with Bob Vila

Walden; or, Life in the Woods

Walden Pond map

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

In small groups, let’s break down the readings into sections and see if we can find lessons in the text of Walden. Specifically, look for lessons that can be connected to American Identity.

1. Economy

2. Where I Lived, and What I Lived For