The essays which were selected for this special collection of Anglo Saxonica cover the thought of the American transcendentalist poet and essayist Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) in its multiple dimensions. Thoreau's work remains vital to libertarian thought, environmental mindedness, conscientious objection, and political and artistic activism, forcing us to question prejudice and social convention which stems from elected governments of doubtful representation. Citizens are therefore called upon to act and resist whenever the principles of individual freedom and consciousness are at stake. Thoreau's writings invite intransigence to oppression and protection of “the other.” Although his Abolitionist thinking was occasioned by particular circumstances and abstract knowledge, his defence of Native Americans resulted from close individual proximity to the tribes of his native Massachusetts, influencing his nature writings as well as his digressive literary style. In a world evermore fragmented by the tyranny of majorities and intolerance towards minorities, with the average citizen beleaguered by inane routine work, the bicentennial of H. D. Thoreau in 2017 was the perfect occasion to reflect upon the empowerment of the individual and the quest for more frugal living in accord with nature. This Special Collection is guest edited by Edgardo Medeiros da Silva (Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas da Universidade de Lisboa), Isabel Alves (Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro), and Margarida Vale de Gato (Faculdade de Letras da Unversidade de Lisboa)