A transcendentalist who conducted a two-year experiment of simply living in a cabin in the woods. He used nature to discover the essential truths about life. His findings were published in his best known novel, Walden (1854). Due to this book, Thoreau is remembered as a respected pioneer ecologist and conservationist. Thoreau was also known as an advocate of nonviolent protest. This was shown in his essay, On Civil Disobedience, in which he believed that one should accept the punishment for violating unjust laws. He took action with this particular belief when he refused to pay a tax that went towards that U.S. war with Mexico. Thoreau spent one night in Concord jail. Said actions and writings inspired many nonviolent movements from people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
He is a northerner who lived in Concord, Massachusetts. He became a leading critic of slavery in the 1850s and was a supporter of the Union during the Civil War. Emerson is also known as the 'Leader of Transcendentalism' and as a great speaker. He encouraged the American people to create their own unique culture rather than imitating European culture. He also supported the individualistic and nationalistic spirit of Americans and argued for self-reliance, independent thinking, and the primacy of spiritual matters over material ones in multiple lectures and essays.