This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on key literary terms that fit the writings of the period and an interactive crossword puzzle using the terms and their definitions.

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on civil disobedience using "Essay on Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. Links are provided to each of the...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the leading transcendentalists. It features a link to his biography, and to an excerpt from his essay "Self Reliance." It also offers a quiz...

A scholarly site with many articles about American transcendental authors, their work, and philosophy.

Explore the impact of transcendentalism on the life of Louisa May Alcott and American society in this video [4:00] from the American Masters film Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind 'Little Women.' Emphasizing self-reliance, civil...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Emily Dickinson and her poetry. It includes links to a Discovery Education video: "Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886: An Overview of Her Work" (registration required) and four of...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Walt Whitman and his invention of the American free verse. It includes links to his poems "Song of Myself" and "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer." It provides...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Henry David Thoreau's Walden, a book about his living a frugal life in a secluded life in a cabin on Walden Pond. Links are provided to a Discovery Education video about...

This is an introduction to the Transcendentalism period (1836-1860) in American Literature. It focuses on the beliefs and characteristics of transcendentalism and its leading authors: Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson and...

This online book presents an overview of American literature chronologically. Eras and movements are explained and biographies of significant authors are provided. This is a good way to understand the background and influences of...

This resource includes a short biography of Emerson and links to related sites.

A good look at the first major American philosophy, transcendentalism. Read about the ideas that transcendentalists believed, and find out the members of the Transcendental Club. Many American authors of the time espoused the ideals of...

Explains what the 'Scottish philosophy' was and how well it fitted with American sensibilities in the 1800s. Over time it evolved into the American philosophy of Pragmatism. The other philosophy that took hold in some groups of society...

This introduction to Romantic literature focuses on the learning outcomes of the study of various pieces of American Romantic literature. These include describe the major historical and cultural developments of the Romantic period,...

This is a collection of two video lessons about Louisa May Alcott and her works especially "Little Women."

Read and search for thirty poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson, taken from the book "Early Poems." Includes a brief biography of Emerson.

This website provides an introduction to and the the text of some of Thoreau's most famous works.

This lesson focuses on various types of phrases including: Prepositional, Appositive, Participial, Gerund, and Infinitive. It defines each and provides examples; these are followed by a self-assessment identifying the different types of...

This chapter from vol. XV of The Cambridge History of English and American Literature is the starting point of an extensive resource for students who wish to study the life and works of this major American literary figure. Includes...

This Poets.org entry for the 19th century American poet, essayist, and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) provides biographical information, a select bibliography, and contemporary photograph as well as links to related writers...

An excellent article detailing the major events of the life and works of Henry David Thoreau. Complete with links to Thoreau's most famous works and interesting details about his life.

Two online photos of Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862 CE). Also provides commentary and quotes on the man's physical nature and appearance.

This website from a professor at Brandeis University provides a biography on Ralph Waldo Emerson in which his childhood, writing career, and his transcendentalist views are discussed. Included are links to related essays and a list of...

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was an English poet, literary critic, and a founder of the Romantic Movement in England, as well as a major influence on American transcendentalism. The following poem is, as the title suggests, the...