Henry David Thoreau's Transcendentalist Movement
Henry David Thoreau lived through a time of great change in America and in the world. Born in 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, Thoreau grew up in an environment that inspired many famous American authors such Nathanial Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thoreau was ‘mentored’ under Emerson and started writing in the transcendentalist fashion. In the 1840s, Thoreau wrote poetry about nature and started to follow the transcendentalist movement. The transcendentalist movement was a large movement during Thoreau’s life. It stressed the need to be less materialistic and get back to nature. This was one of the main reasons Thoreau moved to Walden Pond in his one room shack. Also during Thoreau’s life was the abolitionist movement,
of which Thoreau was a large supporter. The abolitionist movement was one that denounced slavery as sinful and immoral. Other supporters of the abolitionist movement were Fredrick Douglas, a freed slave, and John Brown. Though abolitionism was largely a peaceful movement, John Brown set the stage for the violence and bloodshed in the Civil War. Brown stormed the town of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia with his sons and other revolutionaries and attacked an army outpost there. He holed up in the armory until U.S. Marines came and attacked the armory, killing Brown’s sons and capturing Brown. John Brown was hung for treason and murder. While many thought that this was just and right, many others, like Thoreau, thought that John Brown should be hailed as a hero rather than hung as a villain. Thoreau Wrote “A Plea for Capt. John Brown” and in this writing referred to him as an “Angel of Light” and “The bravest and humanist man in all the country”. Other events that occurred in his life included the California Gold Rush, Herman Melville’s writing of Moby Dick, and in 1833 England abolished slavery.
of which Thoreau was a large supporter. The abolitionist movement was one that denounced slavery as sinful and immoral. Other supporters of the abolitionist movement were Fredrick Douglas, a freed slave, and John Brown. Though abolitionism was largely a peaceful movement, John Brown set the stage for the violence and bloodshed in the Civil War. Brown stormed the town of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia with his sons and other revolutionaries and attacked an army outpost there. He holed up in the armory until U.S. Marines came and attacked the armory, killing Brown’s sons and capturing Brown. John Brown was hung for treason and murder. While many thought that this was just and right, many others, like Thoreau, thought that John Brown should be hailed as a hero rather than hung as a villain. Thoreau Wrote “A Plea for Capt. John Brown” and in this writing referred to him as an “Angel of Light” and “The bravest and humanist man in all the country”. Other events that occurred in his life included the California Gold Rush, Herman Melville’s writing of Moby Dick, and in 1833 England abolished slavery.