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'''Henry David Thoreau''' (1817-1862) was an American [[writer]] and [[philosopher]], and along with [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]], a major figure in the [[Transcendentalist]] movement. He is perhaps best known for his book ''Walden'' (1854), an account of a two year period during which he lived in relative solitude near the shores of Walden Pond in [[Massachusetts]], and ''Civil Disobedience'' (1849), an essay which depicts his arrest for refusing to pay his poll tax in 1845 that would support the [[Mexican-American War]] and [[slavery]]. In ''A Plea for John Brown'' (1859) he defended the [[Harper's Ferry Raid]].

'''Henry David Thoreau''' (1817-1862) was an American [[writer]] and [[philosopher]], and along with [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]], a major figure in the [[Transcendentalist]] movement. He is perhaps best known for his book ''[[Walden]]'' (1854), an account of a two-year period during which he lived in relative solitude near the shores of Walden Pond in [[Massachusetts]], and for ''Civil Disobedience'' (1849), an essay which depicts his arrest for refusing to pay a poll tax in 1845 that would support the [[Mexican-American War]] and [[slavery]]. In ''A Plea for John Brown'' (1859) he defended the [[Harper's Ferry Raid]].

His work ''Civil Disobedience'' would served as inspiration for [[Mohandas Gandhi|Gandhi]], [[Tolstoy]] and modern civil rights leaders as using non-violent means of protest to further a cause.<ref>The New American Desk Encyclopedia, Penguin Group, 1989</ref>   

His work ''Civil Disobedience'' would served as inspiration for [[Mohandas Gandhi|Gandhi]], [[Tolstoy]] and modern civil rights leaders in using non-violent means of protest to further a cause.<ref>The New American Desk Encyclopedia, Penguin Group, 1989</ref>   

Thoreau is sometimes mistakenly thought of as a sort of hermit or vagabond, but in fact he was completely serious about carrying on the family business, a pencil factory. He made significant improvements in their manufacture, and engineered a machine for grinding "plumbago" ([[graphite]]) finer, to produce a higher-quality "lead." Thoreau pencils were regarded as being among the best manufactured in the U. S.<ref>Petroski, Henry (1989), "H. D. Thoreau, Engineer." ''American Heritage of Invention and Technology,'' volume 5, issue 2[http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/1989/2]</ref><!--Also in Petroski's 1992 book, "The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance"--->

Thoreau is sometimes mistakenly thought of as a sort of hermit or vagabond, but in fact he was completely serious about carrying on the family business, a factory producing pencils. He made significant improvements in their manufacture and engineered a machine for grinding "plumbago" ([[graphite]]) more finely to produce a higher-quality "lead". Thoreau pencils were regarded as being among the best-manufactured in the U.S.<ref>Petroski, Henry (1989), "H. D. Thoreau, Engineer." ''American Heritage of Invention and Technology,'' volume 5, issue 2[http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/1989/2]</ref><!--Also in Petroski's 1992 book, "The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance"--->

When asked, on his deathbed, whether he had made his peace with God, Thoreau responded, "I did not know we had ever quarreled."

When asked, on his deathbed, whether he had made his peace with God, Thoreau responded, "I did not know we had ever quarreled."