Reform Movements
by Zachary Kirkbride
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is the idealistic philosophical and social movement that developed in New England in 1836 in reaction to rationalism. It was Influenced by romanticism, Platonism, and Kantian philosophy, it taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity, The members had progressive views on feminism and communal living. The main people who were the head f this was Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
The Brook Farm Community
Brook farm or also called The Brook Farm Institute of Agriculture and Education, It was a short-lived utopian experiment in communal living from 1841 to 1847. The 175-acre farm was founded in West Roxbury, Mass. or now know as Boston. It was run by George Ripley, He was the leader in the Transcendental Club, an informal gathering of intellectuals of the Boston area. He was aided by his wife, Sophia Dana Ripley, a woman of wide culture and academic experience.