1. Transcendentalists Ideas and Significant Authors:

2. Who were they? Rebels: Transcendentalists rebelled against the “current situation” in America: they wanted to be DIFFERENT ! VERY well-educated! Mostly from New England (near Boston). Believed America needed “Literary Independence” – an identity that was uniquely “American”. Movement closely linked to religion and believed in individual relationship with “God” – not just what the Church decreed.

3. The Enlightenment (Age of Rationalists) BEFORE the Romantics Religious movement in the 1800s. Believed in Reason and Experimentation (especially in regards to religion and beliefs). Used a Logical approach to answer questions.

4. Romantics/Transcendentalists Less rational more intuitive thoughts More in touch with the Senses Philosophical approach to answering questions. Believed the Revolutionary times and the Enlightenment did not “go far enough” Believed Rationalists were “Corpse- cold”

5. Romantics/Transcendentalists Believed in: –Intuition –Passion –Insight –Inspiration –Anti-Slavery –Women’s Rights –Social Reform

6. Other Influences: More worldly exploration led to Non- Western thoughts and ideas: –Buddhism –Hinduism Looked at other religions as having truth in them (Believed in more than just Christian Ideology: there must be more than just one right answer)

7. Significant Authors Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau Emily Dickinson Margaret Fuller Theodore Parker Harriet Martineau James Martineau

8. How they are different from Romantics, yet the same. SimilaritiesDifferences Nature Education is the key to ultimate freedom The Common ManSelf-education is best Society Corrupts thoughts and ideas People born to fulfill “human potential” (Women and African-born people especially) and deserved basic right to freedom, education, etc

9. Emerson said: “We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds…a nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men.”