American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau died #OTD in 1862.
In addition to "Walden," Thoreau is well-known for his essay "Civil Disobedience," which was inspired by his 1846 arrest for refusing to pay poll taxes as a protest against slavery and the Mexican-American War. His political writings later influenced many political leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
Books by Henry David Thoreau at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/54