1. + Transcendentalism Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau

2. + Ralph Waldo Emerson Best Friends with Thoreau Self-Taught- He was a lecturer and writer Father died at a young age Aunt influenced him in philosophy Attended Harvard Was a teacher and minister at the 2 nd Church of Boston Married to Ellen Tucker

3. + Walt Whitman praised Emerson the writer Moved away from Calvinist ideas in his later life Started the Transcendental Club- Remember we just learned what transcendental ideas were last class on wksh Placed great value in intuition

4. + Oversoul- belief that one being connects us all Transcentalism was a religious movement in Europe but only a literary movement in America Emerson believed that people were innately good

5. + 4 characteristics of Transcendentalists 1. belief that people are innately divine 2. individuals can discover truth through nature rather than religious doctrine 3. they wanted to be self- reliant (rely on themselves rather than other people for everything) 4. nature is a symbol of the spirit- found truth through intuition and it can be found through nature

6. + Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862- born in Concord, MA Mother was a boarder- met all kinds of people Moved to Walden Pond July 4, 1845 At 28 he was considered a failure He only lasted two weeks as a teacher because he would not whip a child Attended Harvard Hawthorne wrote to newspaper complaining about Thoreau

7. + Never married He received independence in college He wore a green jacket to chapel English literature and German philosophy influenced Thoreau into Transcendentalism

8. + Walden Pond Walden Pond was only 2 miles from Concord- not very “ self- reliant ” He went to town once a month Thoreau claims people are one-dimensional- we get caught up in living Walden is considered successful because of blending of style and content Only spent two years here

9. + He believed that America was extending their land for more slave holding territory He spent two nights in jail because he wouldn ’ t pay his pole tax In response to his experience in jail he wrote “ Resistance to Civil Government ” Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were influenced by this essay

10. + Thoreau died from TB His aunt asked when he was dying if he had made his peace with God. He replied, “ I didn ’ t know we had ever quarreled. ”