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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 ''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]].

His work ''Civil Disobedience'' would served as inspiration for [[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 as 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 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"--->