CapeCodToday.com – On this day in 1862, Henry David Thoreau died. He was born on July 12, 1817 and died on May 6, 1862 two months shy of his 46th birthday.
Thoreau was an American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, and philosopher. Thoreau walked the length of Cape Cod on four separate occasions from 1849 to 1857.
Some people may not know that Henry David Thoreau was a sarcastic prick, but he certainly was. Take this quote about Eastham from “Cape Cod”;
“In 1662, the town agreed that a part of every whale cast on shore be appropriated for the support of the ministry.” …Think of a whale having the breath of life beaten out of him by a storm, and dragging in over the bars and guzzles, for the support of the ministry! What a consolation it must have been to him!
Yes, it’s a bit dated, but the snark and sarcasm are there. In a way “Cape Cod” was the original “The Real Cape”. I wonder if he got a bunch of telegrams from people whose cousins are ministers in Eastham telling him to stop being mean?
Not only was Thoreau a witty humorist, but he was also known for rebelling against the status quo. Here are a few great quotes attributed to him…
“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.”
“If I repent of anything, it is very likely to be my good behavior.”
Sounds like ol’ Henry didn’t like the Fun Police and knew how to have a good time huh?
So here is to Henry David Thoreau, the original snarky and sarcastic Cape Cod voice. May he rest in peace in a place where everyone has a sarcasm detector.
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