may 1, 1849 - The Transcendentalists: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau's “On Civil Disobedience”

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Ralph Wade Emerson was a popular transcendentalist speaker - his works and sermons perpetuated American patriotism by urging the people to create a distinct American culture instead of being influenced by European culture. Independent thinking, self-reliance, and primacy of spiritual matters over material ones became a popular concept that Emerson preached in his works; which led for him to become a critic of slavery and a supporter of the Union during the Civil War. Friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson was Henry David Thoreau, and he tested his philosophies by conducting a two-year experiment of living in a cabin in the woods to discover truths about life and the universe, which were compiled and published in a book called “Walden”. Another critical work was his essay “On Civil Disobedience”, (1849) which presented his argument for accepting the penalties that would come out of disobeying unjust laws; criticizing American social institutions and policies (which enforce slavery). The work was inspired by his overnight stay in the Concord jail by refusing to pay a tax that would support the U.S war with Mexico and enforce the Fugitive Slave Law, an action he deemed immoral.

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