Could Transcendentalism be a Thing?

By Kiera Rae & Jacob Smith

What is Transcendentalism?

Transcendentalism is a religious movement that arose around the 1820-1830s. Based around a set of beliefs, people who followed these beliefs believed in self reliance and being one with nature. This movement was started to combat the way the government was going and to embrace ones self and spirituality.

“This whole earth in which we inhabit is but a point is space.” ― Henry David Thoreau

Effects Transcendentalism had on societyLeaders of the Transcendentalist

movement brought new life into books and novels as they wanted to have there own independent type of Literature from the other European countries.

Utopian Societies

•A group of people specifically George Ripley, Frederic Henry Hedge, and Ralph Waldo formed a group called the Transcendental club

Utopian societies like Brooks Farm and Fruitlands were created by transcendentalist leaders to see how communities based on transcendentalist ideals would turn out.

In short the communities failed.

Opposition to the movement

•Some of these idea in this movement were a bit too intense for everyone to handle. Ideas like Women's rights, and choosing your own job with equal pay with everyone else.

Edger Allen Poe even wrote a story that had a lot of hate sewn into it, basically called transcendentalists pansies.

Overview of The Movement

•Group of people with a set of beliefs Transcendental Club Literary movements and Utopian Societies Second Wave of Transcendentalists The slow Die out of the movement.

Looking Back on Transcendentalism•Transcendentalism is related to

romanticism and the modern day hippy in a lot of ways sharing many views and thoughts. Some of the beliefs related to the women's rights movement.

•Realistically the goals of this movement were nice, but country not ruled by Political parties and equal rights to all was just not realistic back then.

The Die Down

•The Transcendentalist movement slowly died down after the second wave of members, as most of the big players slowly started to drift away.

•With George Ripley’s death in 1880, Transcendentalism had ended.

Sources

•http://archive.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap4/ripley.html

•http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Brook_Farm08.JPG

•http://transcendentalism-legacy.tamu.edu/ideas/definitionbickman.html