1838

In 1838, the renowned American essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson addressed the graduating class of Harvard University in one of his most famous speeches, commonly known as the “Harvard Divinity School Address.” Emerson’s words challenged conventional religious thinking and emphasized the importance of individuality, self-reliance, and spiritual intuition. He championed the idea that individuals had the capacity for direct, personal connection with the divine and that this spiritual insight should guide their lives. Emerson’s address challenged the prevailing religious orthodoxy and paved the way for the transcendentalist movement in American literature and philosophy.