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The Thoreau Institute
at Walden Woods Library
About Thoreau's Life and Writings
Texts and Links
including Thoreau's contemporaries, his readings, current
scholarship and
related documents
Henry D. Thoreau: A Brief Chronology
1817
Born
12 July in Concord, Massachusetts, to John and Cynthia
(Dunbar) Thoreau.
1828-33
Attended Concord Academy.
1833-37
Attended Harvard College.
1837
Taught briefly at Concord Center School (public).
1838-41 Conducted a private school in Concord with his elder brother John.
1839
Went on boating excursion on Concord and Merrimack rivers with
his older brother John.
1840
Poems and essays published in
The Dial.
1841-43 Lived with Ralph Waldo Emerson and his family in Concord.
1842
Older brother John died suddenly of lockjaw;
“Natural History of
Massachusetts” published.
1843
“A Walk to Wachusett” and
“A Winter Walk” published;
tutored
William Emerson’s children on Staten Island, New York.
1844
Accidentally set fire to woods in Concord with Edward Hoar.
1845-47 Lived in small house on shore of Walden Pond.
1846
Traveled to Maine woods; spent one night in jail for refusing to pay
poll tax.
1847-48
Lived in Emerson household while Ralph Waldo Emerson lectured in
England.
1848
Began career as professional lecturer;
“Ktaadn and the Maine
Woods” published.
1849
A
Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers and
“Resistance to
Civil Government” published; traveled to Cape Cod; older sister
Helen died, apparently of tuberculosis.
1850
Traveled to Cape Cod and Quebec.
1853
Traveled to Maine woods; portions of
“A Yankee in Canada”
published.
1854
Walden;
or, Life in the Woods and
“Slavery in Massachusetts”
published.
1855
Portions of
Cape Cod published; traveled to Cape Cod.
1856
Surveyed Eagleswood Community near Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
1857
Traveled to Cape Cod and Maine Woods;
“Chesuncook”
published.
1858
Traveled to White Mountains in New Hampshire.
1859
Father John died;
“A Plea for Capt. John Brown”
published.
1860
“The Succession of Forest Trees”
published.
1861
Traveled to Minnesota with Horace Mann, Jr., in effort to regain
health.
1862
Died
6
May in Concord, Massachusetts.
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