Essayist · 1803 – 1882
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Little-Known Facts
- His address 'The American Scholar' was called America's 'intellectual Declaration of Independence'.
- He encouraged and financially helped the young writer Henry David Thoreau.
Myths & Misconceptions
What is Transcendentalism?
It is the movement Emerson led, holding that truth is found through individual intuition and a direct, spiritual connection to nature, beyond mere reason or institutions.