The Transcendentalists: Ralph Walde Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, “On Civil Disobedience,” Brook Farm (dec 1, 1841 – sep 1, 1849)

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Ralph Walde Emerson was the most well-known Transcendentalist. His essays and lectures expressed the individualistic and nationalistic spirit of Americans by urging them not to imitate European culture but rather create a distinctive American Culture. Henry David Thoreau was a close friend of Emerson. To test his Transcendentalist philosophy, Thoreau conducted an experiment where for two years he lived in a wood cabin outside of town. During this time, he observed nature to discover essential truths about life and the universe. His writings were written in a book called Walden, because of this book, Thoreau is seen as a pioneer ecologist and conservationist. In one of his essays “On Civil Disobedience” Thoreau establishes that he is an advocate for nonviolent protest, the essay presents Thoreau's argument for disobeying the law and accepting the penalty. Brook farm was an experiment where the goal was for a community of people to achieve a more natural union between intellectual and manual labor.

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