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Top 20 Facts about Henry David Thoreau

*Originally published by Charity K in May 2023 and Updated by Vanessa R in May 2024

Henry David Thoreau was a philosopher, environmental scientist, and poet. He is widely known for his book Walden, about simple living, and his essay 鈥樷�機ivil Disobedience鈥欌�� which later greatly influenced revolutionists such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

He was born in Concord, Massachusetts. His father was John Thoreau, a pencil maker, and his mother was Cynthia Dunbar. His paternal grandfather Asa Danbury led the first recorded student rebellion in Harvard in 1766 known as the 鈥楤utter Rebellion鈥�

 Henry had two older siblings; Henry and John Jr and one younger sister, Sophia Thoreau

The following are the top ten facts about Henry David Thoreau;

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1. He invented the grinding machine to improve pencils

Thoreau’s father began producing black-lead pencils in the 1820s. Thoreau earned money while teaching students, surveying land, and working as a handyman for his family’s pencil business.

While working in the family business Henry researched German techniques for making pencils. Equipped with the information he鈥檇 researched Henry invented the machine that made better quality plumbago [a mixture of lead, graphite, and clay that鈥檚 put in the pencil]

2. He started a forest fire at the age of 26 years

Forest fire Photo By Karsten Winegeart on

Henry David Thoreau accidentally started a major forest fire in the Concord woods on April 30, 1844, when his campfire grew out of control. Henry was cooking fish that he had caught with his friend outside Concord when the grass caught fire.

The fire spread so fast aided by the wind that it destroyed 300 acres of forest and nearly destroyed Concord. The local newspaper, The Concord Freeman, estimated the damages at over $2,000 and indirectly chastised Thoreau for his “thoughtlessness.”

Thoreau recounted the event in a lengthy journal entry dated May 31, 1850, in which he explained why he felt no remorse for starting the fire. His neighbors called him a rascal and a wood burner, which according to him, continued even years later after the incident was a thing of the past.

3. Henry and his brother proposed to the same woman

Ellen Sewall Photo By Unknown –

Thoreau wrote in his journal in 1839 about falling in love with Ellen Sewall, an 18-year-old from Cape Cod. Thoreau’s older brother John proposed marriage to Sewall in 1840, but she declined.

So, as with any good brother, Thoreau wrote Sewall a letter proposing that she marry him instead. Sewall also rejected him, most likely because her family disagreed with Thoreaus’ liberal views on Christianity.

Despite the marriage proposal, some historians and biographers believe Thoreau was homosexual. He never married and reportedly preferred celibacy, and his journals contain references to male but not female bodies.

4. He was a minimalist

Thoreau wrote about the benefits of living a simple, minimalist lifestyle long before tiny houses became popular. He wrote in Walden about giving up the luxuries of everyday life in order to quiet the mind and have time to think. “My greatest skill has been to want but not have much,” he wrote. Thoreau’s love of simplicity was also related to the craft of writing: “It is the fault of some excellent writers… that they express themselves with too much fullness and detail.” They give the most accurate, natural, and lifelike account of their mental and physical sensations, but they lack moderation and sententiousness.”

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5. He led a social life

Henry led a social life despite a popular misconception that he was a loner.

Henry was an individualist who was close to his family and he also sometimes lived with Emerson鈥檚 family [he taught Emerson鈥檚 children when he stayed with the Emerson鈥檚 amid looking for freelance writing work for magazines while he was with them].

While living in the forest, Henry entertained guests and visited friends. A huge gathering of his friends came to his burial to mourn him and to commemorate a life well lived.

6. He was a member of the Boston Society of Natural History.

Henry, even after his death donated his bird collection, more than 1000 plant species, bird eggs, and bird antiquities. The North American antiquities included stone weapons that he had collected during his walks in Concord.

7. He spent a night in jail after he failed to pay the poll tax

Jail Photo By Craig Clark on

Henry said that jail felt freer than the outside world, a night after he spent one in jail.

This later influenced him to write an essay known as 鈥淐ivil Disobedience鈥�. This essay, later on, came to influence a lot of revolutionists such as Martin Luther King Jr and Mahatma Gandhi.

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8. His house at Walden Woods became a pigsty

Thoreau’s home in Walden Woods went through several iterations after he left it in 1847. He sold the house to Emerson (who already owned the land), and Emerson sold it to his gardener. The gardener never moved in, so the house sat empty until 1849 when it was purchased by a farmer named James Clark.

Clark relocated it to his neighboring farm and used it to store grain. In 1868, the building’s roof was removed from the foundation and used to cover a pigsty. The remainder of the structure was used as a shed before its timber was used to repair Clark’s barn in 1875. Today, replicas of Thoreau’s house can be found near Walden Pond in Massachusetts.

9. People found it difficult to pronounce Henry David Thoreau鈥檚 name

Henry David Thoreau Photo By University of California –

In Thoreau鈥檚 lifetime, his name was pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable; the-ROH.

However, sometime later Ralph Waldo [Emerson鈥檚 son] wrote that the emphasis was on the first syllable. Amos Bronson Alcott [father of novelist Louisa May Alcott] wrote that the name should be pronounced like the word 鈥榯horough鈥� in American English this made his other friends call him 鈥樷�� Mr Thorough鈥�.

10. He reversed his name after graduating from Harvard

Signature By Henry David Thoreau –

His given name was NOT Henry David Thoreau. His given name was David Henry Thoreau, after his father’s brother, David, who had died.

After graduating from college, the famous writer reversed his name and began calling himself Henry David. He never changed the order of his given nomenclature legally and remained legally as David Henry Thoreau. Henry switched his first and middle name; David Henry to Henry David.

11. Speculation Regarding His Sexuality

Even though proposed to Ellen Sewall, scholars have called him heterosexual, homosexual, or asexual. Thye suggested that homoerotic sentiments were run through his writings and concluded that he was homosexual.

One scholar suggested that he wrote the poem to Edmund because he couldn’t bring himself to write it to Edumund’s sister Anna. It has been argued that the long paean in Walden to the French-Canadian woodchopper Alek Therien.

12. He was Influenced By Indian Texts

Henry was influenced by Indian spiritual thought and there are multiple references to the texts of India. On various occasions, he followed Hindu customs including a diet that consisted of rice. He also played the flute and did yoga.

13. His Influence on Public Figures

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Henry influenced many political leaders and reformers like John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, and William O. Douglas. As well as Edward Abbey, Marcel Proust, E.B. White, Frank Llyod Wright, John Burroughs, Edwin Way Teale, Gustav Stickley, and Alexander Posey. 

In 1890, Henry Stephens Salt, an English writer, wrote a biography of Henry that popularized his ideas in Britain. Thoreau’s friend, William Ellery Channing, published his first biography called Thoreau the Poet-Naturalist in 1873.

14. He Has Faced Criticism

Henry was an advocate of non-violent resistance while he also defended the action of violence. Critics disagreed with him because of the clash of logic. Many ignored his politics because they were considered inconsistent.

15. The Legacy of David Thoreau

Thoreau established the tradition of nature writing and is remembered as an important contributor to the American literary and philosophical movement which is known as New England transcendentalism. David’s books, essays, and poems create two central themes over the course of his intellectual career.

He is known for his famous essay Civil Disobedience which later inspired the world leaders Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

16. Thoreau was an accomplished surveyor 

In addition to being a famous writer and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau was also an accomplished surveyor. He often used his surveying skills to map the local area around Walden Pond, where he lived for two years. Thoreau was skilled at measuring land, drawing detailed maps, and understanding the layout of the natural landscape.

He put these surveying abilities to use to better understand the environment he was living in and even created maps of the Walden Woods. Thoreau’s surveying work demonstrates his diverse talents and interests beyond just his philosophical writings. He was a well-rounded individual who could apply practical skills like surveying alongside his more abstract intellectual pursuits.

17. He was an avid reader and admirer of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy

Henry David Thoreau was very interested in the ideas and writings of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. He spent a lot of time reading and studying their work. Thoreau admired the way these philosophers thought about important questions about life, nature, and the human condition. He found their perspectives and insights to be deeply influential on his own philosophies and worldviews.

Thoreau incorporated concepts from ancient Greek and Roman thinkers into his own writings and ideas. Being an avid reader of these classical philosophers helped shape Thoreau’s approach to examining the world around him and exploring the meaning of human existence. His familiarity with ancient philosophical traditions was an important part of Thoreau’s intellectual development and the formation of his unique perspective.

18. Thoreau was deeply concerned about the plight of Native American tribes 

Henry David Thoreau was very concerned about the way Native American tribes were being treated by the U.S. government. He spoke out against the poor treatment and injustices that were happening to these indigenous communities. Thoreau felt it was wrong for the government to take land away from Native Americans and force them to relocate.

He believed the government was not respecting the rights and dignity of these tribes. Thoreau used his writing and public speaking to raise awareness about the plight of Native Americans and to criticise the actions of the U.S. authorities. He wanted to see more compassion and fairness shown towards these marginalised groups. Thoreau’s concern for Native American welfare was an important part of his broader social and political activism.

19. He was a talented lecturer and often gave talks on a variety of topics

In addition to his skills as a writer, Henry David Thoreau was also known as a talented public speaker. He would frequently give lectures and talks to audiences on a wide range of subjects. Thoreau was knowledgeable about many topics, from nature and philosophy to social and political issues. He had a gift for captivating his listeners and sharing his ideas and perspectives in an engaging way.

Thoreau would travel to different cities and towns to deliver these lectures, which allowed him to reach a broader audience beyond just his local community. His abilities as a compelling public speaker complemented his written work and helped spread his unique philosophies and observations. Thoreau used his lecturing talents as another avenue to share his deep thoughts and challenge people to think differently about the world around them.

20. Thoreau had a strong interest in astronomy and would frequently observe the night sky from Walden Pond

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Henry Thoreau really liked looking at the stars and planets. During the time he lived at Walden Pond, he would spend a lot of time staring up at the night sky. Thoreau was very interested in astronomy鈥攖he study of the stars, moons, and other objects in space. He found the night sky to be beautiful and fascinating. Thoreau would spend hours observing the movement of the planets and the patterns of the constellations. He was in awe of the vastness of the universe.

Studying the stars and planets was another way for Thoreau to learn more about the natural world. He saw astronomy as connected to his overall love of nature and understanding of how the world works. Thoreau was a very curious person who was interested in many different topics, from philosophy to science. Gazing up at the night sky from Walden Pond was just one of the ways he explored and marvelled at the wonders of the natural environment around him.

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