ID: Transcendentalism ## When: 1830s-1850s (peaked in the 1840s)

Who:

Key Figures: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Amos Bronson Alcott
Influenced by: Romanticism, German Idealism, and Eastern Religions

A philosophical and literary movement that emphasized:

Intuition and personal experience over tradition and established institutions
Individualism and self-reliance
The inherent goodness of humanity and the importance of living in harmony with nature
Transcendence: the belief that humans can connect with a higher power through intuition and experience

Shaped American Literature and Culture: Transcendentalist writers produced influential works that explored themes of individualism, nature, and spirituality, including “Nature” (Emerson), “Walden” (Henry David Thoreau), and “Woman in the Nineteenth Century” (Fuller).
Inspired Social Reform Movements: Transcendentalists were deeply concerned with social justice and reform, advocating for abolitionism, women’s rights, and education reform.
Influenced Later Thinkers: Transcendentalism laid the groundwork for later philosophical and literary movements, including American Romanticism and the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
Enduring Legacy: The core tenets of Transcendentalism, such as self-reliance, individual responsibility, and the importance of nature, continue to resonate with American culture today.