To analyze and better understand his prose, it is necessary to be acquainted with some key points in Thoreau's life and the political, social, economic, and environmental atmosphere of 19th century antebellum America. America was in a period of major change in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. ... "Manifest Destiny" accelerated westward migration as well as dissent within the American government and between itself and its citizens. ... A major tenant of the movement was, "They believed in something that transcended the limits of sensory experience – in other w...

• Word Count: 2159
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School