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Last edited by Tom Morris
January 15, 2026 | History
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Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American philosopher, essayist, and poet, best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. His teachings directly influenced the growing New Thought movement of the mid-1800s. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society.

Emerson gradually moved away from the religious and social beliefs of his contemporaries, formulating and expressing the philosophy of Transcendentalism in his 1836 essay, Nature. As a result of this ground-breaking work he gave a speech entitled The American Scholar in 1837, which Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. considered to be America's "Intellectual Declaration of Independence". Considered one of the great orators of the time, Emerson's enthusiasm and respect for his audience enraptured crowds. His support for abolitionism late in life created controversy, and at times he was subject to abuse from crowds while speaking on the topic. When asked to sum up his work, he said his central doctrine was "the infinitude of the private man."

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Photo of Ralph Waldo Emerson

American philosopher (1803–1882)

Born 25 May 1803
Died 27 April 1882

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Photo of Ralph Waldo Emerson

American philosopher (1803–1882)

Born 25 May 1803
Died 27 April 1882

Subjects

Emerson, ralph waldo, 1803-1882 American essays American literature American poetry History Conduct of life Philosophy American Authors Biography Poetry Civilization Nature Essays (single author) Fiction, general Friendship Poetry (poetic works by one author) Correspondence Description and travel Unitarianism English National characteristics Essays Fiction Literature Self-reliance Social life and customs

Places

United States England Great Britain Massachusetts Alabama Owl Creek Bridge Boston (Mass.) Concord (Mass.) New England West Indies Andover Barbados China Eastern Europe Florida Fountain of Youth Grande-Bretagne Mallard residence Massachusetts Bay Colony Milford meeting house Missouri Salem Salem (Mass.) Salem Village Soviet Union

People

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) William Shakespeare (1564-1616) Napoleon I Emperor of the French (1769-1821) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) Plato Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) Peyton Farquhar Devil John Milton (1608-1674) Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Ethelred Madeline Usher Roderick Usher Socrates Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) Abigail Williams Amanda Wingfield Ann Putnam Annabel Lee Arthur Hugh Clough (1819-1861) Arthur Miller (1915-) Aylmer

Time

19th century 1861-1865 1861-65 American Civil War Civil War, 1861-1865 Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 1600s 1692 1783-1865 1815-1861 1844 19e siècle 20th century Civil War December Quintessential Virtues of Friendship Siglo XIX To 1775 To 1865 an Essay by Emerson in a greeting book form. carnival

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Alternative names

  • Waldo Ralph Emerson
  • Ralph, Waldo Emerson
  • Ralph Waldo, Emerson
  • Ralph Waldow Emerson
  • Ralph W. Emerson
  • RALPH WALDO EMERSON
  • Ralph Waldo ( Emerson
  • R. W. EMERSON
  • R. W. Emerson
  • Ralph Waldo [essays] Emerson
  • Ralph Waldo 1803-1882 Emerson
  • Ralph Waldo Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • Ralph WALDO EMERSON
  • Ralph Waldo EMERSON
  • Ralph Waldo. Emerson
  • Emerson Ralph Waldo
  • ralph waldo emerson
  • Emerson. Ralph Waldo
  • Emerson Ralph Waldo 1803-1882
  • Ralph Waldo-Emerson
  • Ralph-Waldo Emerson
  • Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882
  • Emerson,Ralph Waldo.
  • Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882, author
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