# data[].attributes.body
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-1w1k6O3EgSoqI8XljeBYurc0eV6QqJLtKNLuPkSYkE/edit

# data[].attributes.body
Tupac Shakur
"keep ya head up”
"It seems tha rain'll never let up

I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin wet up

You know it's funny when it rains it pours

They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor

Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is

it ain't no hope for the future

And then they wonder why we crazy...

We ain't meant to survive, cause it's a setup

And even though you're fed up

Huh, ya got to keep your head up"

-"Keep Ya Head Up" by Tupac

This song supports Transcendenalism by backing up Thoreau’s belief of free thought, standing up to a higher power, and society’s effect on humans. Tupac strongly encouraged other to express their feelings of the government by peacefully protesting. Both have gone to jail for expressing their feelings towards government restrictions and laws. They were not upset due to the fact they were arrested, but simply upset because the government continued to give unfair laws. Tupac believed standing up for what you believe in will serve you true freedom. Throughout the song Tupac explain how the government is corrupted and feeding our brains with unnecessary thoughts.

# data[].attributes.body
J cole
"Change”
"I sit in silence and and find whenever I meditate
My fears alleviate, my tears evaporate
My faith don't deviate, ideas don't have a date
But see I'm growing and getting stronger with every breath
Bringing me closer to heaven's doors with every step”
“But the only real change come from inside
But the only real change come from inside
But the only real change come from
In cemeteries or in chains I see men cry
But the only real change come from inside
But the only real change come from inside
But the only real change come from...”
- “Change” bye J Cole
Throughout the song the artist, J Cole, expresses his view on how Changes should be made in life. He writes about the changes within are the most noticeable. It sends a message saying changed should not only be for other, but you should make changes for yourself. He also writes about quietly protesting against a higher order. He finds peace within himself by finding out who he truly is.

# data[].attributes.body
21 Savage
"A Lot”
“Every day that I'm alive, I'ma ride with the stick
I'd rather be broke in jail than be dead and rich
Told my brothers take my breath if I turn to a snitch
But I'm 21 4L, ain't no way I'ma switch”
In the lyrics written by 21 Savage he expresses how he rather live a life incarcerated, then be dead and rich. He knows the importance of his life and how if he were to be dead not only wouldnit effect him, but it would also effect his loved ones. Being able to live a life is the greatest thing in the world and to waste it just to be dead isn’t right. Many would love to live a life or have another chance at it, but you only live life once and taking it would just be ungrateful. He sends a message to always be greatful for what you have.

# data[].attributes.body
Voltaire
French Writer
This quote from  Voltaire explains how god has given us life, but it’s up to us how we decide to live it. Being held down by laws and restrictions on what we can and can not do will hold us back from living live at its fullest and having complete freedom over ourselves. It is up to us to live our own life how we would like. We have too push past our limits and the restrictions that are holding us back from thinking and living on our own.  Independence is a key factor In life. We have to learn how to live life on our own.

# data[].attributes.body
The quote tells how you shouldn’t wait for good moments to happen, Instead go after them. Going after for what you believe in should always be important. If you wait for what you want it could take up to years to come too you. Going through all obstacles to get what you want will be worth it at the end. Never wait for what you could make happen now.

# data[].attributes.body
Albert Einstein
Nature is beautiful. Being able to understand it is truly a gift. Looking into the roots of nature will reveal many things about life. The deeper you go the more information you’ll discover. Being able to dissect nature and study it piece by piece uncovers the greatest secrets of life

# data[].attributes.body
John Muir
This quote explains how when being at peace and one with nature, one finds more then expected. Being able to see the true beauty of nature and understanding it will help you realize life is not about materialistic things. One with nature gives you the peace and wisdom you need, only if you decide to take the time for it. John Muir believes a simple a walk through nature will bring you more then you planned. He believes nature is key to all.

# data[].attributes.body
The image below show how even in darkness there is beauty. Nature till this day is full with unknown and mysterious things. It is up to us to take the time to examine every little or big  element. The darkest part of nature reveals how knowing the truth might be scary, but getting to know it is truly a gift. When one becomes one with nature, become free spirited, and open minded they will understand more then they realize.

# data[].attributes.body
Behind those close doors is a world where everyone depends on themselves and no one. People behind there are free to do and think whatever they desire. We have to break down those doors in our life that are holding us back from enetering. Transcendentalism reveals the deep truth of life. It makes the world around us easier to understand.

# data[].attributes.body
The fence made by netting in the image below represents everything that is holding us back from going further. We have to ignore all laws and restrictions being brought upon us in order to live life at its fullest. Having true freedom of the mind and body will take us further then expected. Living an ordinary life with materialistic items is simply not a “good life” when there’s more deeper and meaningful things in life that are waiting to be discovered. We have to break the limits that are holding us back.

# data[].attributes.body
The two red banners represent the guards protecting the place where you can go to think freely. The guards are trying to keep everyone out, so they won’t have the power to think on there own. It shouldn’t be like that. We shouldn’t have “guards” nor restrictions holding us back from thinking. The deeper we think things the more we will understand. The the deeper we think the more free will we be. We should have the power to do and think what we desire.

# data[].attributes.body
In this TED TALK Robert Waldinger explains the importance of life. He tells about how freedom is an important thing you need in life in order to be happy. He tells how you should make yourself happy first, before making others happy. Living a good life does not mean having money and being famous, what makes a good life is looking beyond things that aren’t meant to look past. We should be open minded and have no restrictions. Being able to think for ourselves and do what we please should not be limited for us. We have to take advantage of the gifts we have.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness | Robert Waldinger | TED

# data[].attributes.body
The image below is simple, but has a greater, deeper meaning behind it. The image you see means more then chains being broken. The chains represent the laws and restrictions the government hold on us to keep us from thinking for ourselves. The hands breaking apart the chain represent the moment in time were we as independent free spirited individuals find our own pursuit of happiness. It represents being able to think freely without anything holding us back. It is being able to have true freedom of ourselves and from ourselves.

# data[].attributes.body
American Transcendentalism and Analysis of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance"

By StevenA. CarboneII

This article explains how Emerson’s belief of  “Self-Reliance” evolves into something greater. Transcendentalism evolves into something greater over years. It leaves people wanting to go on there own and have true freedom and be fully independent. The article goes into great detail explaining the key factors of being a transcendent. Emerson believes this is the correct way of living.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What began in New England in the early nineteenth-century as a reform of the Congregational Church grew into what some scholars consider to be one of the most monumental movements of religion, philosophy and literature in American history. Humbly, American Transcendentalism began its transformation of the American intellect through a circle of friends, some of whom were former Unitarian ministers themselves. They desired to further reform the church, which they viewed as a "social religion that did not awaken the individual's realization of his own spirituality" (Versluis 290). These Transcendentalists drew upon the philosophies and religions of the world to push forth their ideas of the importance of the self in spiritual life. At the forefront of this movement was Ralph Waldo Emerson. Himself a former Unitarian minister, Emerson was and still is viewed as the highest profile member of the "Transcendental Club" that was responsible for the re-thinking of American spirituality (Barna 60).

Emerson's statement regarding the importance of the individual in moral and intellectual development is "Self-Reliance." His essay supports the American Transcendental movement's philosophical pillar: that the individual is identical with the world, and that world exists in unity with God. Through this logic, it follows that the individual soul is one with God, thusly eliminating the need for an outside institution (VanSpanckeren Net). In order to fully understand American Transcendentalism, and Emerson's place in it, the movement's origin and evolution must first be explored.

The roots of American Transcendentalism reach back into the eighteenth century. Religion in New England had been dominated by Calvinist ideologies, set forth by the Puritan settlers. Calvinist doctrine included the idea of the inherent corruption of human nature and the concept of salvation coming only by the discretion of God himself (Robinson "Transcendentalism" 14). It is important to note here that the Calvinist belief was that the individual had absolutely no control over their ultimate spiritual fate through their actions in life. This orthodox belief asserts the Holy Trinity, through which God presents himself, elects those men chosen for salvation or condemnation - a fate decided before the creation of the world (Hutchison 3).

In the mid eighteenth century, there arose a desire to reform these Calvinist beliefs in order to create a more positive and liberal view of human nature. A number of ministers in Boston wished to bring about a fresh New England theology that stressed the ethical and pious behavior of the individual in the self-determination of their own salvation. This group of liberals, in the early nineteenth century, began to criticize the Congregational Church and its Calvinist ideals, stating that they hindered the individual's moral growth. This group of liberals eventually gathered behind a spokesman named William Ellery Channing, who argued the case for this fledgling Unitarian movement (Robinson "Transcendentalism" 14-15).

William Ellery Channing, in 1819, assumed the role of "unofficial spokesperson for American Unitarianism." His sermons and speeches beseeched his audiences to seek the truth for themselves in scripture, in order to pour their findings and feelings into poetry and passion for their newfound ideals (Barna 64-65). Channing's message stressed the fundamental belief that God was innately part of human nature and that this oneness with God would be supported by rational and reasonable interpretation of Biblical scripture (Hutchison 13).

Channing's efforts to re-define Unitarianism and establish the self- culture were simultaneously setting the foundation upon which the Transcendentalist movement would be built (Barna 65). Channing's message of self-development through moral and intellectual growth was reaching a new generation of participants, including Emerson. Plagued by a lack of self-confidence at this time, Emerson was struggling with the decision to commit himself to a career in the ministry. Channing's poetic style from the pulpit encouraged Emerson, who had previously found Unitarian theological and doctrinal preaching distasteful. Emerson eventually decided, in 1832, to resign from the Unitarian ministry in order to pursue a career as an essayist and orator (Robinson "Transcendentalism" 15-16). This departure from conservative Unitarianism marked the beginnings of the Transcendentalist movement. In and around Massachusetts, the majority of new Transcendentalists came from Unitarianism. The Unitarian intellectuals of the time still believed and asserted that Christ's divinity was proven by the miracles documented in the Bible - a claim found by the new Transcendentalists to be unreasonable (Capper 683).

In its earliest days, Transcendentalism was known mostly as a religious movement. Further reform of the church, including more open-minded reading of the Scripture and the questioning of miracles found in the Bible were considered to be most radical for the time. The movement, early on, was pushing for a less formal, less ritualistic religious experience (Worley 267). In 1836 the "Transcendental Club," comprised of Emerson and a number of his renowned contemporaries, began meeting. This was also the year in which Ralph Waldo Emerson anonymously published his first book, Nature (Versluis 290). From this point forward, the movement took a turn towards a more broad range of target subjects, including philosophy, theology, politics and literature. The diversity of the subject matter of their criticism and writing can be attributed to the range of intellectual interests the group shared, as well as their use of sources from the western tradition and from abroad (Capper 683).

It was in this period that Emerson penned his second collection of Essays, which was published in 1841. Included in it is Emerson's "Self-Reliance." It is a near reflection of the self-culture introduced earlier in the Unitarian reform by W.E. Channing. Emerson uses the essay as a vehicle for stressing the importance of the individual's intellectual and moral development, and for making a defensive statement supporting individualism itself (Belasco 683).

"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages" (Emerson 684). From the outset of his essay, Emerson asserts that man should be focusing his attention to his inner self for guidance rather than relying on external religion and religious and philosophical figures. In doing this, he sets out to support the ideology of the individual that lies at the core of Transcendentalism. Robinson indicates that "Self-Reliance" deals with the fall of humanity, and it's saving throw, disciplined attention to the inner self (Robinson "Grace and Works" 226). As one progresses through Emerson's work in "Self-Reliance," it becomes evident that he works through several themes.

Acceptance of self is an important theme explored in the essay. The will of an individual can lead him away from the "oneness" that is essential to the Transcendentalist ideology. Reliance on, and acceptance of the self are the keys to achieving that "oneness," by way of trusting one's own thoughts (Barna 67). "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine Providence has found for you" (Emerson 685). Emerson goes on to describe the childlike mind, which trusts wholly, without the self-doubt typically encountered in an adult mind. Robinson describes this state of mind as a self-possession and self-acceptance on a sub-conscious level, allowing for true, natural intuitive action (Robinson "Grace and Works" 226). For progress as a true individual under the Transcendentalist way of thought to be possible, self-acceptance was paramount. This could occur only through complete trust in a person's own intuition without influence from outside forces of tradition, religion or government (Warren 208).

Somewhat connected to self-acceptance is the theme of non-conformity. Complete trust in one's self requires the abandonment of reliance on outside sources. Emerson speaks of society as a "joint-stock company" where its members are satisfied with sacrificing their liberty and culture for the sake of security. He continues, "The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-Reliance is its aversion" (Emerson 686). Non-conformity to society is the ultimate action of a self-reliant person, while conformity is the converse of self-reliance (Buell 173).

Emerson points to the essences of virtue, genius and life as stemming from intuition. This is considered to be the primary human wisdom, or intuition, with all later teachings considered to be "tuitions" (Emerson 691). It's Emerson's assertion here, as in his "Divinity School Address," that man can only truly develop the self and follow naturally occurring intuition by removing himself from the influences of the outside world. Emerson's statement continues to be that he can learn nothing from other people and traditions: It is the same assertion that created hostilities during his infamous speech at Harvard (Warren 208). Emerson's tone in "Self-Reliance" is less severe than that of his "Address," but is still strong in its message of individualism and self-trust coupled with the rejection of external distractions. He continues the criticism of the church, and man's reliance upon it: "Man is timid and apologetic. He is no longer upright. He dares not say 'I think,' 'I am,' but quotes some saint or sage" (Emerson 692). Reid describes the essay as pithy, and full of self-assertions and extreme self-righteousness. He also blasts Emerson's extreme view of isolationism (Reid 307).

Repeatedly throughout "Self-Reliance," Emerson returns to these ideas and themes to support his point that fortune and peace is attainable only through reliance on and trust in one's self. His work is a direct reflection of the ideals brought forth by Transcendentalism mostly in part because Emerson himself was at the helm of the movement as its most renowned member. Emerson took a movement that began as a fight for reform in the church, and transformed it through his writing and his participation in the Transcendental Club, into a veritable revolution of the American way of thought and philosophy. Perhaps it all began in Emerson's mind as a way to deal with the loss of his wife through completely isolating himself from all external thought and society, but it created a whirlwind of reformed thought. On reading "Self-Reliance," Emerson's influences are apparent, and his subject matter aligns perfectly with the messages and ideology of the Transcendentalists: "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself" (Emerson 701).

Barna, Mark Richard. "Transcendentalism Was A Religious and Intellectual Movement." American Romanticism. Ed. Jennifer A. Hurley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000. 60-67.

Belasco, Susan and Linck Johnson. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature, Volume One: Beginnings to 1865. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2008.

Buell, Lawerence I. "Reading Emerson for the Structures: The Coherence of the essays." The Quarterly Journal of Speech, Vol. LVIII. No. 1. (1972): 58-69. Excerpted and reprinted in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Joann Cerrito. Vol. 38. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc., 1993. 173-79.

Capper, Charles. "Transcendentalism." A Companion to American Thought. Eds. Richard Wightman Fox and James T. Kloppenberg. Cambridge: Blackwell, 1995. 683-685.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." The Bedford Anthology of American Literature, Volume One: Beginnings to 1865. Eds. Belasco, Susan and Linck Johnson. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2008. 684-701.

Hutchison, William R. The Transcendentalist Ministers. Hamden: The Shoe String Press, 1972.

Reid, Alfred S. "Emerson's Prose Style: An Edge to Goodness." American Renaissance: A Symposium. (1970): 37-42. Excerpted and reprinted in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Laura Lanzan Harris. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1981. 305-07.

Robinson, David M. "Grace and Works: Emerson's Essays in Theological Perspective." American Unitarianism: 1805-1865. (1989): 121-42. Excerpted and reprinted in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Joann Cerrito. Vol. 38. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993. 223-30.

Robinson, David M. "Transcendentalism and its Times." The Cambridge Companion to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Eds. Joel Porte and Saundra Morris. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999. 13-29.

VanSpanckeren, Karen. "The Romantic Period, 1820-1860: Essayists and Poets." American Literature. 3 May 2008. 25 November 2008.

Versluis, Arthur. "Transcendentalism." Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century. Vol. 3. Ed. Paul Finkelman. New York: Charles Scribener's Sons, 2001. 290-93.

Warren, Joyce. "Transcendentalism and the Self: Ralph Waldo Emerson." The American Narcissus: Individualism and Women in Nineteenth-Century American Fiction. (1984): 23-53. Excerpted and reprinted in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Joann Cerrito. Vol. 38. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1993. 208-13.

Worley, Sam McGuire. "Transcendentalism." Encyclopedia of American Studies. New York: Grolier Educational, 2001. 266-68.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American Transcendentalism and Analysis of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What began in New England in the early nineteenth-century as a reform of the Congregational Church grew into what some scholars consider to be one of the most monumental movements of religion, philosophy and literature in American history. Humbly, American Transcendentalism began its transformation of the American intellect through a circle of friends, some of whom were former Unitarian ministers themselves.

# data[].attributes.body
Transcendentalism

AMERICAN MOVEMENT

Written by: The editors of Encyclopedia Britanica

The article below explains how transcendentalism came to be. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were one of the greatest transcendentalist known. They both believed of being being able to know the true meaning of things. The deepest truth of life no one understood as long as they were being restricted. Being able to have true freedom is what matters in life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is Transcendentalism?

What inspired Transcendentalism?

This article was most recently revised and updated by

Transcendentalism, 19th-century movement of writers and philosophers in New England who were loosely bound together by adherence to an idealistic system of thought based on a belief in the essential unity of all creation, the innate goodness of humanity, and the supremacy of insight over logic and experience for the revelation of the deepest truths. German transcendentalism (especially as it was refracted by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Thomas Carlyle), Platonism and Neoplatonism, the Indian and Chinese scriptures, and the writings of such mystics as Emanuel Swedenborg and Jakob Böhme were sources to which the New England Transcendentalists turned in their search for a liberating philosophy.

Eclectic and cosmopolitan in its sources and part of the Romantic movement, New England Transcendentalism originated in the area around Concord, Massachusetts, and from 1830 to 1855 represented a battle between the younger and older generations and the emergence of a new national culture based on native materials. It attracted such diverse and highly individualistic figures as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Orestes Brownson, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, and James Freeman Clarke, as well as George Ripley, Bronson Alcott, the younger W.E. Channing, and W.H. Channing. In 1840 Emerson and Margaret Fuller founded The Dial (1840-44), the prototypal "little magazine" wherein some of the best writings by minor Transcendentalists appeared. The writings of the Transcendentalists and those of contemporaries such as Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, for whom they prepared the ground, represent the first flowering of the American artistic genius and introduced the American Renaissance in literature ( see also American literature: American Renaissance).

In their religious quest, the Transcendentalists rejected the conventions of 18th-century thought, and what began in a dissatisfaction with Unitarianism developed into a repudiation of the whole established order. They were leaders in experimental schemes for living (Thoreau at Walden Pond, Alcott at Fruitlands, Ripley at Brook Farm); women's suffrage; better conditions for workers; temperance for all; modifications of dress and diet; the rise of free religion; educational innovation; and other humanitarian causes.

Heavily indebted to the Transcendentalists' organic philosophy, aesthetics, and democratic aspirations were the pragmatism of William James and John Dewey, the environmental planning of Benton MacKaye and Lewis Mumford, the architecture (and writings) of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, and the American "modernism" in the arts promoted by Alfred Stieglitz.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Adam Augustyn.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transcendentalism | Definition, Characteristics, Beliefs, Authors, & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Transcendentalism, 19th-century movement of writers and philosophers in New England who were loosely bound together by adherence to an idealistic system of thought based on belief in the essential unity of all creation, the innate goodness of humanity, and the supremacy of insight over logic and experience.

# data[].attributes.body
In this video Henry David Thoreau’s idea of living life in a simple, authentic, and disobedient is explained. Self reliance is important because you can’t always depend on others being there when you need them. You have to take charge and action when the time comes. Living a free spirited life, gives you the power to think on your own. Civil disobedience is not a crime. The laws restrict us from being able to truly be free. No one has true freedom.

# data[].attributes.body
Walt Whitman
"Song of the Open Road”
In the poem Whitman writes about the significance of self reliance and freedom. He believes he doesn’t need anything but himself. Having yourself is the only thing you should truly need. Materialistic things could make you happy, but only for a certain amount of time. Being able to be free and your true self with no limitations is true happiness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Song of the Open Road, I - Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,