Writer · 1817 – 1862
Henry David Thoreau
Little-Known Facts
- He was jailed for a night for refusing to pay a tax that supported slavery and the Mexican-American War.
- He built his famous cabin on land owned by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Thoreau live in total isolation at Walden?
Not really — his cabin was a short walk from town, he had frequent visitors, and he often went home; Walden is more an experiment in simple living than true wilderness solitude.