Ralph Waldo Emerson: At the Heart of the Transcendentalist Movement New England Congregationalists that dismissed convictions of predestination and the Holy Trinity pioneered the first ideals that molded Transcendentalism into a powerful, influential movement. It became important when individuals began to seek a deeper understanding of self-reliance, nature, and independence. Many authors, such as Emerson, Thoreau, and Fuller, brought to light many of the ideals of Transcendentalism and provided sound ideals that shaped the movement to be known as what it is today, which is commonly known as a “religious concept rooted in the ideas of the American democracy” (Milne). Multiple authors were greatly influenced by the notions of David Hume, a
