Ralph Waldo Emerson
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century
- Categories: Literature, Publishing
- Subcategories: Authors, Writers, Philosophers
- Curriculum: American History 1816-1855, American Civil War & Reconstruction Era (1856-1877), American History 1878-1900
Article abstract: Emerson was a spokesman for a peculiarly American culture. His writings contributed to that culture and encouraged others to add still further to it.
Early Life
The fourth child of Unitarian minister William Emerson and Ruth Haskins Emerson, Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 25, 1803. His father’s death in 1811 left the family poor, and his mother had to maintain a boardinghouse to support the family of six young children.
Despite this poverty, Emerson’s education was not neglected. He attended the...
[The entire page is 2931 words long]