John Brown Transcendentalism

“There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil” -Ralph Waldo Emerson in Self Reliance. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a transcendentalist. Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that originated in the 19th century and was primarily influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Transcendentalists’ main beliefs are: self-reliance is essential to one’s life, nature is divine, every person should have an optimistic outlook, and humanity needs to adhere to their personal morals and beliefs. In today’s world we still see a multitude of the beliefs of transcendentalism.

However John Brown is someone who fought for what is right in his own mind without directions from other men. He was fully capable of knowing the surroundings around his world and was aware of how he was executing his action to fight for freedom for the slaves. However as he claimed that God came down and spoke to him to be the leader to free the slaves, John Brown took actions by his own choice and not by a superiority figure. He fought for colored choice by his own choice and not the choices of others. And in today's world the fight at Harper’s Ferry should not be counted as an act of terrorism but rather of act of free will to believe what is right for the country. John Brown is someone who fought for what is right in his mind. His mental state was not ill neither religious superiority controlled him to commit his actions. John Brown fighting for the freedom of colored men was his own choice and not the choices of other. He should be considered today as a true noble abolitionist who paved the way for equality for all and a hero to

During his trial, Brown was made a martyr in the North. Brown’s eloquent speech during his trial swayed the northern opinion. At first, Brown’s lawyers wanted him to accept an insanity plea, but, according to Tony Horwitz (2011) in his book Midnight Rising, “During the proceedings when Brown would make his plea, his lawyers tried to get Brown to accept an insanity plea; however, Brown said ‘I am perfectly unconscious of insanity, and I reject, so far as I am capable, any attempt to interfere on my behalf for that score’”, thusly, Brown rejected the insanity plea, in an attempt to make his cause more noble. If Brown had accepted the insanity defense, people would dismiss his cause as insane. He was sentenced to death as a result, but he had

Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, central figures of Transcendentalism, expressed their beliefs through works such as “American Scholar” and “Into the Woods” in the nineteenth century. They believed that one must be in simplicity, solitude, and away from technology to appreciate the beauty of nature, which is essential for a better spiritual understanding of oneself. Transcendentalism, which focuses on spiritual interactions with nature, is relevant in today’s hectic life with temptations of materialistic goods and burdens of technology. The retreat that Webb offers every year is a good example of how Transcendentalism shapes students to have spiritual richness and mental strength. On retreats, students go off campus with bare necessities for three days to camp sites in nature to reflect and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. Viewed through the lens of Transcendentalism, retreats allow students to prepare for a new and busy school year to come by helping them to realize their own goals, to get rid of distractions of technology, to get inspired by nature for a better understanding of themselves, and to enjoy a moment of solitude to truly reflect on the deeper meanings of life.

In fact, Hammond states that, “some would call him a tragic hero, flawed only in his insistence on purity in thought and action coupled with a mystical detachment from the political realities oh his day.” (591) Hammond views Brown as a hero in which he fought for his beliefs and acted on the highest principles which were expressed by the founders of the American nation. Hammond rationalizes Brown’s inhumane actions of violence with moral and religious conviction. Therefore, in his analysis, Hammond insists that Brown’s commitment to higher political and moral goals conformed to the basic principles of human freedom and political and legal equality. However, Brown easily could have fought for his beliefs without invoking fear and terror. Even though Brown may have had good intentions regarding the abolishment of slavery, his good intentions did not lead to good actions. Therefore, Gilbert effectively proves in his analysis that Brown perfectly fits the definition of an irrational terrorist as his violent actions conform to a modern definition of

The execution of John Brown brought mixed reactions from all over the country. This North Carolina paper criticizes the commercialization and celebration of John Brown that had been taking place in the north (390.) This reaction highlights the anger from the South at the celebration of this violence and also calls out the hypocrisy for the villainization of the southern states. These northern states who target them for upholding slavery are not only celebrating a violent act, but they’ve done plenty wrong themselves in the past. “It’s a pity they haven’t a witch or two to drown or burn, by way of variety” (390.) The paper remarks that the gallows should be completely be burned or else the capitalist heathens in the north will profit off the

Transcendentalism relates to freedom in several ways. Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are two transcendentalists that have different views on freedom. Our project, representing freedom, shows a person how to live his or her life in a way of freedom shown by Emerson and Thoreau.

Scott John Hammond convey a different transition in our American history, John Brown was fueled on freedom of religion and human race. According to the article John Brown: America's First Terrorist? , "For southerners, Brown was the embodiment of all their fears- a white man willing to die to end slavery. For many Northerners, he was a prophet of righteousness"(Finkelman). Folks from the North was well aware that Brown violent acts was the start of a revolution to end slavery and satisfy the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. On the other hand, the southerners differed his principle of "freedom" he was considered a threat to the union and a harm to society that need to be banished. Brown evaluated society according to the "laws

John Brown should be considered a martyr for his courageous attempt to free the slaves and abolish slavery at any cost necessary. Brown was a determined man that felt it was God’s will to put an end to the treacherous reign of slavery. He did not want to use violence. However, John Brown knew he needed to take action and end slavery once and for all. It gives me the pleasure to address any doubt to the American Morality Society that John Brown was a martyr and a vigilante; rather than a terrorist. His actions were bold, courageous, and revolutionary at a time when it was difficult to stand for the abolishment of slavery. My goal is to prove that John Brown’s brutal actions were necessary to gain the attention of a rising crisis in the nation. John Brown was a martyr because he knew he was doing God’s work for a

Someone who refuses to follow the path that everyone takes. I chose someone who has done all of those and has ended up succeeding with his dream. Sir Robert Bryson Hall II or “Logic” as described by us youths is an American rapper who rose to fame from humble beginnings.

John Brown was an African American slave abolitionist who caused much conflict with his radical views to overthrow slavery. One of his many defeats where he tried to defeat slavery with violence was the armed slave rebellion on Harper’s Ferry. “In a speech to the court before his sentencing, Brown stated his actions to be just and God-sanctioned.” Brown lived a life full of dispute; yet it was not until after Harper Ferry where his madness was confirmed. “Brown soon became a hero in the eyes of Northern extremists and was quick to capitalize on his growing reputation.” Brown’s radical abolitionist movements and wicked violent actions on slavery promoted his reputation in the north and were the cherry on the sundae to validate his insanity.

find a community and finally feel like they belong somewhere and have a place. But his dad

Society is always changing beliefs and bringing new ideas in. Now millions of people believe in different things, and some of those many beliefs revolve around the idea of transcendentalism. For the people who don’t know what Transcendentalism is, it was introduced by Ralph Waldo Emerson in the 1800s. Another person who believed in Transcendentalism is Henry David Thoreau, who wrote the essay, “Civil Disobedience.” Which consisted ideas of standing up and protesting peacefully. Some of the ideas consist of self-reliance, which is relying on oneself and not trusting others. The other ideas are individualism, being yourself, not living simply, and having a close relationship to nature. These ideas will always be incorporated in modern day society. There’s many programs around and ideas with people saying that others should be themselves, and not act like other people. An idea that branches out from being yourself would be peer-pressure. Peer-pressure basically pressures others into doing things they’ll regret because they’re usually pressured to make bad decisions. This is one of the many examples of why society still revolves around transcendentalist ideas. Even though the Transcendentalist era was in the early-to-mid 1800s, the beliefs such as being different from others, expressing one's feelings to others, and other ideas are still incorporated into modern society.

whether that be a different person or group. Taking challenges into ones own hands instead of waiting

There have been numerous religious rebellions throughout history, but none quite like that of Transcendentalism. This movement embodies the idea that spiritual growth can be achieved through personal journey instead of conflicting with organized religion. By the time of the movement’s onset, newly gained religious freedom in the United States allowed for new ideas and beliefs to prosper freely. At the heart of this movement was Transcendentalism philosophy famous ambassadors, Ralph Waldo Emerson and apprentice Henry David Thoreau. These men believed nature is what forces us not to depend on other ideas but to develop our own.