Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803–1882 · American · 19th Century
Known for: America's philosopher of self-reliance who told everyone to trust themselves—and they actually listened
Serene, optimistic, and charismatic. He left the ministry after his first wife's death, founded Transcendentalism, and became the most influential American intellectual of the 19th century.
Personally gentle, he hosted a remarkable circle in Concord. In later years he suffered memory loss yet remained cheerful. He influenced Thoreau, Whitman, Nietzsche, and American culture itself.
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