Henry David Thoreau made the decision to spend some time by himself on July 4, 1845.
He established himself in a woodland near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, and constructed a small cottage for himself. He famously penned in Walden, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately." This piece, along with Civil Disobedience, which was also influenced by his stay at the pond, would go on to rank among the most significant literary works in American history, inspiring movements for civil rights, environmentalism, and abolitionism. On this day in 1847, Thoreau quit his position after spending two years, two months, and two days in a state of near solitude.
“It’s really the most famous vacation in American history,” says David Ward, a historian at the National Portrait Gallery. “What he did in the book was he took those two years of experiences and condensed them into a work of art.”
Thoreau composed "Walden" while residing in a cabin close to Walden Pond for two years, two months, and two days. By employing the four seasons as a metaphor for the progression of humanity, Walden condenses the span of just over two years into one year. The book that served as inspiration for the transcendentalist ideology was an attempt at achieving personal spiritual enlightenment and serves as a guide to independence.
