Transcendentalist Legacy

There are many challenges for people while they are growing up. In fact, these challenges are very common for most teenagers. However, many authors have written pieces with the intention to help students overcome their struggles. That is why a student who is struggling to find their inner self can trust several of the ideas of transcendentalism. In fact, Thoreau and Emerson include the ideas of optimism, intuition, and originality in many of their pieces of literature. It is clear that a teenager who is struggling developing their character should connect with the transcendent ideas from Thoreau and Emerson.

In the era of Romanticism there are certain characteristics that pertain to the style of writing, this includes the importance of the individual and the imagination, as well the emotional side of human nature. Many of the writers during this period were captivated by supernatural motifs and had optimistic outlooks in their writings. The Anti-Transcendentalist era differ from the Romantic era with its pessimistic outlook in literary pieces. The Anti-Transcendentalism or Gothic era focused on demonic ways of writing and the writers of this time saw the potential for evil in everyone. Writings of this time focused on mankind's greed, betrayal, and other dark motives. The differences in the two movements can be seen in the literary works from Washington Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." Transcendentalist believed in being independent and self-reliant as well as appreciating nature. Transcendentalism occurred in the 1800s in the United States. Transcendentalist believed that one should not rely on others and should rely solely on themselves. They also believe that nature was important in the world and should not be taken for granted. Artist from 2000 up to now share these common beliefs with transcendentalist. One of these artist is Trisha Yearwood who had the song Real Live Woman. Another artist who has a song that follows their beliefs is Lee Ann Womack. Lee Ann Womack has the song I Hope You Dance which also follows along with the beliefs of transcendentalist. Some of the beliefs that transcendentalist had was believing in independence and they also believed in appreciating nature and everything in it for example Lee Ann Womack sings about nature and what happens in it and Trisha Yearwood in one of her songs sings about the importance of being self-reliant and independent she also talks about social reforms and not doing things that is set up by society.

Transcendentalism can be the best thing for some people, but it also has its consequences.

The 19th century transcendentalists prefer to turn to nature as a model to guide people on how to improve their lives through living simply, making the best of what they have, and refraining from passing judgement. Transcendentalism challenges individuals to be more self-reliant, many transcendentalists had discovered that the key to being true to oneself is in living as nature does. An example of a place created for this practice specifically is Brook Farm. The goal of transcendentalism is to teach an individual the basics of finding a balance within themselves by connecting their spiritual instincts with the actions taken by their own flesh. It is when the spirit is troubled, that many find themselves connecting with nature, and thus

Transcendentalism began around 1836 in New England. The transcendentalist believed that society and its organized institutions were corrupting the purity of individuals. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a famous transcendentalist that wrote “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”. In this literature Thoreau argues that people need to simplify their lives and enjoy it. Transcendentalism played a big role back then and is a big deal even today as is it still relevant in our time period.

The root word of “Transcendentalism” is the word “transcend”, a verb meaning “to be beyond the normal limits of.” Members of the transcendentalist movement in America attempted to achieve this through a closer connection to nature, god, and oneself. This movement existed primarily through literature, in the form of poems, essays, and books. Although transcendentalist philosophy made forays into other forms of expression such as visual art, one medium remained largely ignored: music. It comes as no surprise that music was so ignored, however. How can one achieve spirituality, individualism, and feeling through music? John Coltrane became the first to try. His seminal album, A Love Supreme, opened a new door to spirituality and freedom in jazz

The transcendentalism movement first came to be in the mid-19th century as a rebellious reaction to the Age of Reason, illustrated by Thomas Paine, and an overall conformist mindset in their rational way of thinking. Primarily started in New England, Ralph Waldo Emerson was a key component in this new philosophical era of intuitive, spiritual thinking. His unique style of literature (such as Self-Reliance and The American Scholar) as well as Henry David Thoreau’s Walden brought objective ideas into the open, while critiquing the general state of intellectualism and spirituality at the time. The core of the values of transcendentalism can be stemmed from a mix of Hindu teachings and

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the father of transcendentalism, was known for his writing being filled with many small memorable statements that stand out to the reader and have a lot of meaning. These aphorisms can be found in multiple pieces of writing by him. Whether they are about following your own instincts like in his essay “Self Reliance” or about the value of true friends which is found in his essay “Friendship”, Emerson’s words are always packed with lots of meaning.

He “taught himself to read and write by forming letters in charcoal on the kitchen floorboards” (Brown). He strove to teach himself so that he could be a teacher to others as his revolutionary ideas on education changed how we look at education even today. He began to dive more and more into the world of Transcendentalism. He was a husband a father and a teacher who created a wave through America that still has rippling effects today. Much more came out of this movement including his effect that he had on his daughter who herself spread transcendental ideas through her writings. This man was Amos Bronson Alcott, and he was a reformer of society looking to abide by Transcendental beliefs. Alcott played one of the biggest roles in causing Transcendentalism to be still present today as he embodies the ideals behind Transcendentalism. Alcott took the philosophies of Thoreau and Emerson and instilled them into the world of the educational system by adding many different activities to the curriculum, stressing self-reliance and self-sacrifice to his students and his daughter.

The transcendentalists were a group of New England intellectuals. They believed that the direct experience of nature united one with god. From Hinduism and Buddhism, they adopted a holistic philosophy based in pantheism (believe that all aspects of the universe ae infused with divine spirit). In the essay “Nature” Emerson, becoming one with nature, we find true happiness.

“We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds” This message encompasses the whole ideology of transcendentalism. The transcendentalist were a group of individuals attempting to pave their own path in the world. Without them the progression of women’s rights, anti-slavery laws and various religious movements would slow tremendously.

The Important Role of Transcendentalism in American History In 1830, a movement known as Transcendentalism began to gain popularity in America. Representing an idealistic system of thought, "strength, courage, self-confidence, and independence of mind"1 were some basic values admired by the followers of the Transcendental movement. Transcendentalists opposed many aspects of their government, where they felt "many unjust laws existed. "2

Transcendentalism was an American artistic and philosophical movement similar to the Romantic movement of Europe. The movement praised the efforts of mankind as individuals instead of depicting humanity as a crowd of like-minded people. Transcendentalists admired the former great thinkers of the world from Aristotle and Jesus to Copernicus and Newton for their confidence and persistence in the face of opposition. The movement encouraged many in the United States to express their creativity and live originally. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a leading Transcendentalist writer, who advocated for confidence, originality, honesty, and freedom for all people, and his essay called “Self-Reliance” summarizes his views of nonconformity. Former slave and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, although he was born sixty years before Emerson, is an example of a man who expressed his unique lifestyle and ideas, fought for his freedom, and transcended the ordinary. For ten years, Equiano was an enslaved man, who was uprooted from his home in Africa as a young child. Yet he persevered throughout his oppression to gain an education, prove his worth, and buy his freedom. However, Equiano lacks the pride necessary to fully represent Emerson’s idea of a self-reliant man. In his The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, which was published in 1789, Equiano acknowledges the hand of God and the help of others in his life. He also conformed to the image of an educated Englishman to

Our country observes non-violent protest every day, whether it be through strikes, meetings, or marches. Many of these demonstrations have proved to be effective, and have gained respect over time. However, while philosophies of civil dispute and nonviolence may seem like a well-accepted idea today, many who fought for this type of negotiation were often considered radical for their introduction of it to society. Among those transcendentalists was Henry David Thoreau, who wrote “Civil Disobedience”, Mohandas Gandhi, who wrote “Satyagraha”, and Martin Luther King Jr., who wrote “Letters from Birmingham Jail”. Henry David Thoreau used the theory of transcendentalism in “Civil Disobedience.” These three transcendentalists influenced the