Ralph Waldo Emerson

By: Aaron Sayers

Summary

• Background Information• Why was Ralph Waldo Emerson important?• Important Dates• His criticism of American life– Questions Answered

• What was his message to improve American life?• What made him interesting?• What means did he use to get his points across?• What impact did his reforms have?

Background Information

• Born May 25th 1803• Died April 27th 1882• He graduated from Harvard• He was an essayist, poet, and philosopher• His teachings were a large influence of the

New Thought movement of the mid 1800’s• He later in life was an abolitionist

Why was he important?

• Urged Americans to make a writing style different than that of Europe's

• Spoke out about the slave trade and cruelty against Native Americans

• His writing had a large influence on leaders of art, religion, politics, and religion.

• He also helped to show the importance of science to the religious

Important dates• 1803- Born• 1811- Death of Father– Left his family in debt

• 1817-1821- Attends college– Begins to keep journals of his changing thoughts

and beliefs• 1831- Death of wife Ellen Tucker• 1833- First lecture• 1835- Lectures on “Biography”• 1835-1836- Lectures on English Literature• 1836- Nature is published, Son Waldo is born, Death of

Brother

Important Dates (Continued)

• 1839- Daughter Ellen is born• 1842- Death of son• 1844- Second series of essays are published, Son Edward is

born• 1853- Death of Mother• 1860- Conduct of Life is published• 1875- Letters and Social Aims is published• 1876 Lectures at University of Virginia• 1882- Emerson's death at age 78

His criticism of American life

• Thought the average American needed to better understand nature and the nature of man

• Thought Americans were cruel to Native Americans

• Thought the slave trade should be ended• Thought Americans needed to introduce a

new form of writing

His message to improve American life

• His message was to show the cruelty taking place in the slave trade and attacks on native Americans.

• Tactics he used to try to create reform:– Lectures– Poems– Journals of his feeling on subjects– Literature

What made him interesting?

• He used things that had happened to him in his private life to draw conclusions on public issues

• The great number of people that read his literature, and visited his lectures

• His accomplishments coming from a poor family

Means used to get points across

• His means to present his ideas were very particle

• Had no radical ideas for total reform, but only small changes for mostly non-Americans

• Also met with president Lincoln to explain his ideas about slavery, and Native Americans rights

What lasting impact did his reforms have?

• Helped to add more people to the abolitionist movement

• Helped give ideas for more Native Americans rights

• Helped create a new form of righting different from that of Europe's.

• Showed many religious leaders the value of science and nature.

Any Questions?

• Bibliography– http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/ralphwaldoemerson.html– http://www.online-literature.com/emerson/– http://www.transcendentalists.com/1emerson.html– http://www.rwe.org/index.php?

option=com_content&task=view&id=222&Itemid=260