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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, Nature, Civilization, Essays (single author), Fiction, general, Friendship, Poetry (poetic works by one author), Unitarianism, Description and travel, Essays, Fiction, Literature, Correspondence, English National characteristics, 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), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), Napoleon I Emperor of the French (1769-1821), 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 Miller (1915-), Aylmer, Betty Parris

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

History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON
January 15, 2026 Edited by Tom Morris merge authors
July 31, 2025 Edited by WikidataBot [sync_author_identifiers_with_wikidata] add wikidata remote identifiers
February 27, 2024 Edited by Drini merge authors
March 9, 2021 Edited by Drini merge authors
December 23, 2008 Edited by 75.70.60.234 Edited without comment.