View source for Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau was another major nineteenth century critic of the spirit of the industrial revolution. Thoreau is best known as the author of Walden, an account of his year spent living alone in the woods, in a shack on the shores of Walden pond.

Thoreau advocated simplicity above all other values. He advised his fellows to "make riches the means and not the ends of existence." He foresaw that the development of industrial society would foster inequality of competencies, as shown in the following quote:

:Men have an indistinct notion that if they keep up this activity of joint stocks and spades long enough all will at length ride somewhere, in next to no time, and for nothing; but though a crowd rushes to the depot, and the conductor shouts 'All aboard!' when the smoke has blown away and the vapour condensed, it will be perceived that a few are riding, but the rest are run over - and it will be called, and will be, 'a melancholy accident'." 

==References==
*Henry David Thoreau, "Walden; or Life in the Woods" (1854)

==Links==
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoreau

[[Category:Historical Roots]]