Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) was an American philosopher, writer, and minister. Born in Boston, he became one of the leading figures of American Transcendentalism, a religious and philosophical movement that emphasized individual spiritual independence and a life in close connection with nature. After a short period as a minister, Emerson turned increasingly to writing. His best-known works include Nature (1836), Conduct of Life (1860), and Society and Solitude (1870). He wrote essays, lectures, and poetry, opposed slavery, and influenced writers including Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman.