Henry David Thoreau was a 19th century American writer, philosopher and naturalist. He graduated from Harvard but was fired from teaching for refusing to discipline his students physically. In 1845, he built a cabin at Walden Pond where he lived in isolation for over two years, during which he wrote his famous book Walden. The book detailed his experiment in simple living and self-sufficiency at the pond. He is also known for his essay "Civil Disobedience" where he advocated for individual resistance to an unjust state.

1. Henry David Thoreau
 1817 - 1862

2.  Writer, philosopher, & naturalist
 “If a man does not keep pace with
his companions, perhaps it is
because he hears a different
drummer. Let him step to the music
which he hears, however measured
or far away.”

3.  Harvardgraduate
 Became a teacher
 Fired because he refused to discipline
his class physically
 He and his brother joined together to
form their own school (Chaos)

4. Walden’s Pond
July 4, 1845 (Independence
Day) he began his famous
“Essential” living experiment
Built a cabin on Walden’s Pond
isolated from society
Lived there for more than two
years

5. Walden’s Pond (cont.)
While there he wrote his most
famous book Walden (diary of his
life while there)
He was testing transcendentalism

6. CivilDisobedience
Wrote “Civil Disobedience” after
spending a night in jail for refusing
to pay a poll tax
“That government is best which
governs least”