The Writers

The prevalent writers that led the Transcendentalist movement were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Below are some statistics and an educational video about each.


Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Born: 5/25/1803 Boston, MA
Died: 4/27/1882 Concord, MA
Education: Harvard College (entered in 1817)
Main interests: individualism, mysticism
Notable ideas: self-reliance, over-soul
Most famous works: NatureSelf-Reliance
Civil War ideals: Anti-slavery, abolitionist, friend of John Brown

Video by YouTube user "bekahhbabee"

Henry David Thoreau:
Born: 6/12/1817 Concord, MA
Died: 5/6/1862 Concord, MA
Education: Harvard College (entered in 1833)
Main interests: ethics, poetry, religion, politics, biology, philosophy, history
Notable ideas: abolitionism, tax resistance, development criticism, civil disobedience, conscientious objection, direct action, environmentalism, anarchism, simple living
Most famous works: Walden
Civil War ideals: Anti-slavery, abolitionist, friend of John Brown

Video by YouTube user "Wild .Man"