In mid-19th-century New England, the Transcendentalists flourished, publishing a magazine, teaching schoolchildren, and they tried to set up an ideal community. The Transcendentalists supported both abolition and for women to have equal rights. Among the most famous Transcendentalists were Bronson Alcott, whose daughter Louisa May became a famous novelist, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, writing great essays and delivering powerful lectures. Transcendentalism did not offer any clear set of beliefs; rather, it was suggesting a way to view the world. While traditional Christianity believed that divine intervention was necessary to improve human nature, for the Transcendentalists humanity could be improved by relying on its own strength. Transcendentalism was an offshoot of Unitarianism, which had rejected Calvinism and liberal beliefs were embraced by them. Those who joined the Transcendentalists were often ministers and people who wrote for a living. Margaret Fuller’s contribution to Transcendentalism included editing the magazine The Dial, and she also conducted discussions for women. Brook Farm, an experiment in communal living, was established both to help support the group and educate children. Perhaps the greatest legacy of Transcendentalism is not its religious or philosophical framework, but how it influenced great literature.
