1. “It is never too late to give up your prejudices.” HENRY DAVID THOREAU By Peter Desrosiers

2. Early Life  Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts  Attend Harvard University where he studied Greek and Latin grammar, mathematics, English, history, mental, natural, and intellectual philosophy, Italian, French, German, and Spanish were the other classes he took

3. Jobs Henry held in early twenties  Henry was a school teacher with his brother John  He taught himself engineering and became a surveyor  Henry also made pencils that were about the same quality as the ones produced in Germany, which were the best in to world.

4. Transcendentalist Movement  Henry was one of the founders and leaders of Transcendentalism  Transcendentalism – radical religious movement – believed the world was split into two parts, the soul and nature  Transcendentalist Movement- Movement for philosophy and religion  Opposed Unitarianism – a religion that instead of god existing in three figures (Father, Son Holy Spirit) it existed in one person

5. Transcendentalist Movement Continued  Transcendentalist- Started as a protests against Unitarianism  People have to live in a spiritual state  Religion and philosophy that derived from spiritual essence of a human  Goes beyond a persons physical state and ability to gain information through the five senses and experiences  One way to get this is to gain spirituality through intuitions rather than the teachings of a religion

6. Transcendentalist Movement Continued  Questions all Conventional rules of society of the time.  One should belief in there own beliefs rather than society’s.

7.  Opposed Mexican War  Wanted to End Slavery  Gave Anti-Slavery Lectures like “Slavery in Massachusetts” -“The law will never make men free; it is men who have got to make the law free.” (Slavery in Massachusetts line 22)

8.  Henry when he was 44 due to tuberculosis on May 6, 1862

9. Bibliography  Henry David Thoreau. American Transcendentalism Web. Web. 1 May 2010..  Henry David Thoreau Biography. Web. 2 May 2010..  Slavery in Massachusetts. Web. 2 May 2010..  THOREAU'S EARLY YEARS. Web. 2 May 2010..  Transcendental Ideas: Definitions. American Transcendentalism Web. Web. 2 May 2010..