When American author and "natural philosopher" Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) lectured in Philadelphia in 1854, he had come as far south as he would ever travel. What did he think of the trip? What did he talk about? And why do his words and ideas still resonate with us today?
Corinne H. Smith first encountered Henry Thoreau and Walden in high school in Lancaster County, PA, in the 1970s. She is the author of the book Westward I Go Free: Tracing Thoreau's Last Journey, and the forthcoming book for middle-schoolers, Henry David Thoreau for Kids: His Life and Ideas, with 21 Activities.
