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A Chronology
by Erik Larson
1803 - Louisiana Purchase gained 828,000 square miles of land for America
1812 - War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain
1814 - The Star Spangled
Banner was written by Francis Scott Key
1839 - The Trail of Tears forced 60,000 Native Americans from their homes to present day Oklahoma
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Born on May 25, 1803, Emerson was the figurehead of Transcendentalism. He praised and preached individualism through his public lectures and essays, with his most famous essay being "Self Reliance". Emerson would continue to spread the ideas of Trancendentalism until his death in 1882, mentoring fellow trancendentalist Henry David Throreau for two years.
Written in 1841, "Self Reliance" is Emerson's most famous essay, stating one of the main ideas of Transcendentalism: the need for each individual to follow themselves, and not conform to the values upheld in society. This idea is present throughout the essay, as Emerson urges the reader of the importance of individualism. “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude," (118). The great man, according to Emerson and other Transcendentalists, is one who resists the external thoughts of others, and embraces his own opinions.
Another theme of Transcendentalism present in "Self Reliance" is the dangers of society. Emerson believed that it is this, the external values held by society, that takes away the liberty of the common man. “Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater," (116). In this quote, Emerson details that society
wants individuals to forfeit their own autonomy for the benefit of the majority, or society itself.
Henry David
Thoreau
1846 - Elias Howe patents the first lockstitch sewing machine
1853 - Herman Melville publishes Bartleby, the Scrivener
1860 - Abraham Lincoln is elected as the United States' 16th president
1861 - The American Civil War begins as the Confederate States form
Born on July 12, 1817, Henry David Thoreau was the main disciple of Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. An essayist and poet just like Emerson, Thoreau graduated from Harvard and lived many doctrines of Transcendentalism. His most famous work: "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience", was written after he was jailed for failing to pay a poll tax. Thoreau also was a lifelong abolitionist, influencing many activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi. He died at the young age of 44 after a fight with tuberculosis and eventually bronchitis.
"On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"
Henry David Thoreau
First published in 1849, "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" is Henry David Thoreau's most famous written work, and it reflects his thoughts on the state of government as well as current injustice in the form of paying taxes. The essay is heavily influenced by his mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the Transcendentalist ideals passed along from him to Thoreau. Due to this, many parrallels are found within the essay, which reflect many Transcendentalist deductions. The first of which is Thoreau's thoughts on society and the majority. He says that: The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, et cetera," (1018). This implies that these men, the majority, serve the government in one way or another, and they lack the individual freedom sought after by the Transcendentalists. Describing them as machines emphasizes this point further, as Thoreau believes due to the fact they lack indivudal freedom, they are not themselves in both their private and public personas. Additionally, this quote brings to light another aspect of Transcendentalist views, which is how to look inward instead of looking at others to form opinions and thoughts. Both Emerson and Thoreau stated that the majority of society does not do this, but instead relies on others to form opinions, so those who resist will rise above the rest.
"On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"
Thoreau was arrested in 1846 after failing to pay a poll tax
1865 - President Lincoln is assasinated
1872 - President Ulysses S. Grant establishes Yellowstone National Park as the first National Park
1876 - Alexander Graham patents the telephone
1883 - The volcanic island of Krakatoa in present-day Indonesia erupts, killing 10,000 people.
Born in 1830, Emily Dickinson was an American poet, who was little-known during her life. A prominent figure in American poetry, Emily lived mostly in isolation, and her poems only became public after her death in 1886. She mainly wrote unconventionally in terms of her poetry, choosing to use punctuation differently, as well as having shorter lines than normal for the time. Her poems often had the themes of death and immortality, as well as society, spirituality, and nature.
Written in 1862, "Much Madness is Divinest Sense" is s short poem that argues how many things that we consider madness, or morally wrong, are actually perfectly sane and fine to do. In contrast, many things we consider morally right are extremely detrimental to ourselves and others around us. Her poem thoroughly reflects Transcendentalist values on society, and how it can convince many people to think a certain way, therefore corrupting the purity of the individual. In the poem, Dickinson says: "Assent, and you are sane; Demur, - you're straightway dangerous, and handled with a chain." This is explaining how society casts aside those who do not follow or agree with them, labelling them as mad or insane in the process. Rejecting society is one of the idealistic pillars of Transcendentalism, and this poem is proving why society should have at the minimum an insignificant impact on the ideas held by an individual. The less an external force such as society is placed on an individual, the more free of thought that person becomes. The poem also emphasizes the values of good judgement and higher order reasoning, as in order to find tthe madness nestled in our society, you need to look out for it.
Often called the father of free verse, Walt Whitman was a highly influential American poet. Born in 1819, his poetry collection called "Leaves of Grass" would inspire many new and famous poets, though it was controversial at the time of publishing. Whitman shifted between Transcendentalism and Realism in his written works, reflecting the values of each within them. He died in 1982 due to a stroke, though his impact on the world of poetry was unprecedented.
Written in 1865 but orignally published in 1867, "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" is a poem by Walt Whitman regarding the use of science and scientific tools to help understand nature, which is a large part of a Transcendentalistic ideology. Transcendenalists believed that one could achieve harmony with nature, and that it can help that same person connect with the rest of the world. Nature was a positive alternate to society, and it could help someone improve their spirituality as well. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker is describing many tools of math and science, as they are in a classroom, but as the poem continues, they begin to become tired so they wander off into the night. The poem shifts from being very concrete to being abstact, which symbolizes the Transcendentalist view of what happens if one rejects society. In this case, the society is the classroom, and the speaker is leaving it to explore nature. He says that "Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off my myself", which also emphasizes embracing individuality and relying on yourself to make your decisions instead of leaning on the influence of others.
1886 - The Statue of Liberty is dedicated in New York Harbor
1896 - The first Olympic Games are held in Athens, Greece
1914 - World War I begins when Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
1929 - The New York Stock exchange crashed on Wall Street, kickstarting the Great Depression
1939 - World War II Begins as Germany invades Poland
Born in 1835, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain, is one of the most influential authors in American history. Twain's most popular novels, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" are both considered some of the greatest American literature of all time. He pushed his own ideas of Transcendentalism through his written works until his death in 1910, often using irony and humor to convey his messages.
Published on December 10th, 1884, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" proved to be one of the greatest pieces of American literature ever written. The main protagonist of the novel, Huck, expresses many Transcendentalist views throughout the novel, mainly by rejecting society and following his own soul. On top of this, Huck is a big believer in the natural goodness and kindness of humans, which is largely due to the lack of society on his life during his childhood. He does not yet see the dangers of the ideals of society, and it does not corrupt who he is even at the end of the book. When Huck is faced with the decision to turn his friend, Jim, a runaway slave in, he decides against it even though it is drastically against the morals of his time. “I was a trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt between two things… ‘Alright, then, I’ll go to hell’— and tore it up," (162). This shows how he not only rejected society, but let his sound heart win over his deformed conscience, a true Transcendentalist thing to do. Even though Huck was groomed by his caretaker Miss Watson and his father Pap to think a certain way about slavery and religion, he still decides to do the right thing.
Huck Finn as portrayed in the novel
1941 - Pearl Harbor was attacked, bringing America into the war
1945 - The Second World War Ends when Japan surrenders to the Allied Powers
1947 - Edwin Land invents Polaroid, the first instant camera
1950 - The comic strip "Charlie Brown" by Charles Schulz debuts
Born in 1907, Wystan Hugh Auden, known to most as W.H Auden, was a British-American poet. Often exploring new technical and stylistic ideas within his poems, Auden would eventually be regarded as one of the most enigmatic and interesting poets in the 20th century, as well as one of the most influential British poets. He was also an avid essayist, having written more than 400 essays
until his death in 1973.
First published in 1940, "The Unknown Citizen" by W.H Auden is another reflection of the Transcendentalist theme of the dangers of society, and the importance of rejecting it. Auden describes an anonymous member of society, who is pictured as "wasn't a scab or odd in his views," as well as saying "That he was popular with his mates and liked a drink." Even though he shares many of the positive qualities that society respects, his most important characteristic is that he contributes to society. This man "had everything necessary to the Modern Man", but yet he is still like everyone else in society. Auden is arguing that society ruined this anonymous man, and that his conformity is the largest issue he made in his life. Had this unknown citizen rejected the harmful views and control of society, he would have been much more than unknown to the rest of the world. Apart from many other problems, society expects that we are all the same people, so it tries to make us the same, which is ruining our individual liberty.
Born in 1894, Edward Estlin Cummings, known mainly as E.E Cummings, was a highly influential American poet. Having written around 2,800 poems and four plays, Cummings is associated with free-form poetry, often using lower case spelling. His poems dealt with many Transcendentalist themes, such as nature and the relationship between an individual and the masses of the world.
First published in 1944, "Pity this monster, manunkind" is a poem written by E.E Cummings on the dangers of society. The busy monster mentioned many time in the poem is a reflection of the Transcendentalist themes of society, and how it is harmful and will hinder individual freedom. The poem says that there is a lack of kindness in society, because society is so focused on being busy and moving forward, or making progress, that it becomes a destructive force. The poem also says that "Progress is a comfortable disease", as no one wants to stop it, but it is slowly ruining society. Additionally, Cummings attacks science, as it is the STEM fields in which we make the most progress in. We are lost, and hopeless, and this situation will not change. Even though progress is ruining society, there is still hope for individualism, as if you embrace natures and reject society, like how Cummings says: "A world of made is not a world of born", then you will be safe from the harms of society.
1955 - The Civil Rights' Movement began in America when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama
1962 - The comic book "Spiderman" by Stan Lee debuts
1969 - USA astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to set foot on the Moon
1977 - George Lucas directs the film "Star Wars"
1985 - Microsoft ships the "Windows" operating system
Born on October 17, 1915, Arthur Miller was one of the most influential playwrights in the 20th century. Often being in the public eye, Miller was married to Marilyn Monroe, while also being awarded a Pulitzer prize in Drama. He also wrote many screenplays, with his most famous one being "The Misfits". Miller's take on colonial Salem Massachusetts in "The Crucible" led it to being one of the most popular plays of the century, and it is still popular even past his
death in 2005.
Written in 1953, "The Crucible" is a dramatized story of the Salem Witch Trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony centuries before. The play follows many individuals, such Reverend Parris, John Proctor, and Abigail Williams, who all try and find out and accuse who is a witch in their society. One main Transcendentalist theme present in "The Crucible" would be the dangers of society. The society of Salem was frenzied over the witchcraft accusations, which led to more accusations and as a result, unnecessary deaths. Many accusations were done just for personal gain, or to ruin other people's lives. No one in Salem can trust one another, and this is partly because they care about their own image. Reverend Parris for example, highly cares about his own image wihtin Salem. He cares not about the health of his daughter, but only for his reputation. Another theme of Transcendentalism present in "The Crucible" would be through the character John Proctor. Mr. Proctor expresses individualism towards her wife, Elizabeth Proctor, who is angry about his affair with Abigail Williams. When they are both tied up in court, Elizabeth tells him it is his decison to confess, and his only, therefore John is showing his indivudality. After looking inwards about his past decisions, John Proctor ends up confessing to adultery.
1999 - The world prepares for the new millennium amidst fears of computers glitches due to the change of date (Y2K)
2005 - The Internet is used by one billion people
2008 - Barack Obama, a black man, is elected president of the USA
2013 - Black Lives Matter emerges as a political movement, protesting against racial inequality
2020 - The outbreak of Coronavirus is declared
as a pandemic by the World Health Organization
Directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman, "Dead Poets Society" is an American drama film. It tells the fictional story of a poetry teacher, Mr. Keating, and how he inspired a group of students at the elite boarding school of Whelton Academy. Mr. Keating teaches his students how to live like a Transcendentalist, by not conforming to society, thinking on their own, and seizing the day. Keating stresses to this students that they have to look at things a different way, and this Transcendentalist view is present when he tells his students to rip the introduction of their poetry books out. Not only is this rejecting formal education, but it is allowing them to think a different way about poetry, and to not conform to the old rules of their restrictive school. Keating himself teaches in an unorthodox way, by often using themes and nature to teach the students how to be themselves, which is a contrast to the other teachers at Whelton, who teach by the rules of society at the time. Transcendentalism is also reflected through the character Neil Perry, a senior at Whelton, who wants to become an actor instead of following the sciences and becoming a doctor. Their relationship is strained, though Neil still decides to look inwards and play the part of Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream, against his father's wishes. The theme of non-conformity
is ever present within the film, even the Dead Poets Society being re-established is an example of this. Every student is slowly learning how to follow who they really are, despite the dangers
of the society they are in.
First published by Suzanne Collins in 2008, "The Hunger Games" is one of the most popular book and movie series' in the 21st century. The book follows Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the most impoverished district out of the 13 that reside in the dystopian country Panem. Katniss ends up volunteering for the Hunger Games, a televised death match in a large arena. Throughout the book, she shows many Transcendentalist qualities that reflect the words of Emerson and Thoreau, the first of which being the non-conformity of her to the tyrannical society she lives in. When her younger sister Primrose gets chosen to go to the games, she volunteers herself, which has never been done before. Secondly, when Katniss and her longtime friend Peeta are the final ones in the games, they decide to rebel and eat poisonous berries so that the games would have no winner. The Transcendentalist theme of self reliance is also present in "The Hunger Games", as each tribute has to rely on only themselves to survive. Trust can easily be broken, and in order to live longer the tributes could not rely on anyone else. Lastly, Katniss reflects the Transcendentalist view of nature even before she was tribute, as she learned how to hunt and make her own bow and arrows out of just branches. This connection helped her survive in the games
as it simulated a wild environment.