Henry David Thoreau along with a select group of people gave impetus to the brief movement of Transcendentalism between 1830 and 1850 and was subsequently raised during the Vietnam War. Many of the Transcendentalist ideas came from students attending Harvard University during this time period. Henry David Thoreau's individualistic anarchist views on society were developed during his early life and later refined in his years of solitude; these views on society and government are expressed directly in much of his work. Much of Henry David Thoreau's work was influenced by his early life and upbringing. Henry David Thoreau was born into an ordinary middle-class family in Concord Massachusetts on July 12, 1817. Thoreau's family were shopkeepers and later ran a small but profitable pencil-making and graphite-selling business that later proved to be very prosperous ( Sattelmeyer 1). The fact that Henry's family had money allowed him to receive a good education. Instead of following the family business, which could have been a prosperous decision, Henry went to further his education in the great hope of making something of his own. This decision marks the starting point of Thoreau's educational adventure. Thoreau enrolled at Harvard University in 1833, but with a “certain level of contempt for this institution,” say James Leonard and Allison Lindstrom, researchers at California State University. At one point Thoreau ranked as high as 6th in his class. This shows his dedication to absorbing every aspect of education to the fullest. After graduation Thoreau refused to pay the five-dollar fee for his diploma because it was made of sheepskin, a tradition of Harvard University. This shows Thoreau's respect for... middle of paper... er Smith and Elizabeth Thomson. vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 4, 2011.Norvell, Candyce. "Critical Essay on Walden." Nonfiction Classics for Students: Presenting analysis, context, and criticism on nonfiction works. Ed. David M. Galens, Jennifer Smith and Elizabeth Thomason. vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 31, 2011. "Overview: The Night Thoreau Spent in Prison." Dramaturgy for students. Ed. David M. Galens. vol. 16. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 31, 2011.Rukeyser, Muriel. "Thoreau and poetry." Henry David Thoreau. Ed. Walter Harding, George Brenner and Paul A. Doyle. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1972. 103-116. Rpt. in Criticism of Poetry. Ed. Ellen McGeagh and Linda Pavlovski. vol. 30. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 31. 2011.