Walden Woods Project
19th Century Lessons for 21st Century Lives
The words of Henry David Thoreau on Civil Disobedience seem particularly relevant today, as are his writings and those of other transcendental thinkers who ask what it mean to live deliberately and what are the responsibilities of...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: American Transcendentalism: Ralph Waldo Emerson
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...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Spirit of Nationalism: Ralph Waldo Emerson
This features a brief biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson, an optimistic Transcendentalist author who's personal life was filled with tragedy. See "Ralph Waldo Emerson Activities" for related materials.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Beauty of the Everyday
Ralph Waldo Emerson taught us about the presence of nature and something a little divine inside all of us; simultaneously helping usher in what was considered, "America's intellectual declaration of independence." [10:52]
CommonLit
Common Lit: Excerpt From "Self Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Transcendentalist movement of the 1820s-1830s promoted the ideas of intuition, independence, and inherent goodness in humans and nature. This excerpt comes from Emerson's most famous essay. "Self-Reliance," which discusses similar...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Louisa May Alcott: Transcendentalism
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...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: American Literature and Composition: Transcendentalism
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...