Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) was an American writer and philosopher, born in Massachusetts. He studied at Harvard and was known for having been a key voice in the Transcendentalism movement of writers and artists who believed in the innate morality of humanity. Throughout his career Thoreau wrote on the subjects of natural history, philosophy, environmentalism and nature. He delivered lectures aimed at ending slavery and his philosophy surrounding civil disobedience had a profound impact on the actions of political figures such as Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi long after his death in 1862.
