American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau died #OTD in 1862.
In addition to "Walden," Thoreau is well-known for his essay "Civil Disobedience," which was inspired by his 1846 arrest for refusing to pay poll taxes as a protest against slavery and the Mexican-American War. His political writings later influenced many political leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
Books by Henry David Thoreau at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/54
"Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something."
Letter to Harrison Blake, March 27, 1848. As reported in: Familiar letters (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1906), p. 164
~Henry David Thoreau (12 July 1817 – 6 May 1862)
@gutenberg_org
I wish that more of the protesters nowadays would read Thoreau's essay on civil disobedience so that they could better understand the difference between protesting and law breaking.
@gutenberg_org ridiculous beard
@gutenberg_org I read "Civil Disobedience" in Swedish: "Civil olydnad". Good book!
@gutenberg_org Kinda lost respect for Thoreau when I learned his cabin at the pond was walking distance from Emerson’s home, where he frequently had dinner, and his mother did his laundry.