Harrison Parker

JB Hendrix
11/17/14
Cooper & Whipple

The Influence of the Inherent Goodness of Man on the Abolition of Slavery

The Antebellum era in America, which occurred during the early to mid-19th century, was
a period of time in which Americans developed a new sense of nationalism which in turn
inspired the rise of transcendentalism. Focusing on the key values of beauty and peace in nature,
interconnectedness of the world, and inherent goodness of man, transcendentalism influenced the
progression of American society. Key transcendentalist figures, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson,
shaped these key values and introduced them in published works such as Emersons Nature
(introducing beauty and peace in nature). Transcendentalists believed in the inherent goodness of
man, meaning that men are at their best when they are independent from organized institutions
such as religion and political parties. Transcendentalist values made famous by authors such as
Emerson inspired a changing society and encouraged individuality over conformity and the
importance of spirit over matter. (The Transcendentalist Movement) The growth of the
transcendentalist movement encouraged the social and political reform of American culture and
encouraged a truly unique American identity.
The transcendentalist movement was an extension of the original romantic movement of
the late 17th century. Romantics in literature cultivated individualism, reverence for the natural
world, idealism, physical and emotional passion, and an interest in the mystic and supernatural
and rebelled against the order and rationality of traditional writers. (Thomas)
Transcendentalists focused more on the independence of the individual, the importance of spirit
over matter, and the inherent goodness of man. (The Transcendental Movement) They even had
their own deity, the Oversoul, and went as far as to challenge the traditional Puritan belief of

predestination arguing that human nature was inherently good because God was in every
person. (The Transcendentalist Movement) Religious attitude of the transcendentalists coupled
with their lust for independence consequently placed them at the head of many reform
movements of the 19th century.
Due to their social and religious beliefs, many transcendentalists found themselves
involved in efforts to reverse conditions that prevented individuals from realizing their full
potential. (Gura) Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his essay Self-Reliance, promotes the ideals of
individuality, and the necessity of relying on oneself for strength and knowledge, asserting that
nothing is sacred but the integrity of your own mind. (Emerson) American reformer Margaret
Fuller, inspired by Emersons writing Self-Reliance, became the foremost advocate of
womens rights in her day. (Gura) Transcendentalists recognized all members of society as
spiritual equals, and realized that the promise all men are created equal in Americas
constitution would never be fulfilled until the benefits of its citizenship be available to those in
poverty, those in chains, those who are mentally ill, and those who are enslaved. (Gura)
The topic of many transcendentalist writers stemmed out of social issues of the period
ranging from political rights for women to better treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill.
Perhaps the most successful social and political argument presented by transcendentalists was the
immorality of slavery. Transcendentalists judged all human beings as being equal on the spiritual
level and strongly conceded with the enlightenment doctrines that promoted individual rights.
For transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, slavery presented a contradiction to the
constitutions all men are created equal as well as went against their own personal spiritual
beliefs. Transcendental author Jean-Jacques Rousseau famously wrote MAN [sic] is born free;
and everywhere he is in chains - that is to say that men are born with all of their natural rights,

including life, liberty, and happiness, but have them removed by their fellow man upon birth.
(Rousseau) Therefore, the institution of slavery went against the ideals of the transcendentalist
movement, namely the doctrine of the inherent goodness of man.
The most successful social reform transcendentalists motivated was the abolishment of
slavery, because other reforms they were involved in (such as woman suffrage) only proved
successful after the influence of the transcendentalists had passed. The transcendental
movements doctrine of the inherent goodness of man stated that men were at their best
independent from government and organized institutions, of which slavery was certainly an
example. (The Transcendental Movement) The slave trade in America certainly was an
institution; slaves were held at regular auctions and were even smuggled into American ports
even though Congress made importing slaves illegal in 1807. (The Act of 1807) However, the
transcendental doctrine of the inherent goodness of man claimed that slavery corrupted man by
connecting the peculiar institution with moral wrongdoings committed by slave holders.
Rousseau wrote in The Social Contract, the right of slavery is null and void, not only as being
illegitimate, but also because it is absurd and meaningless, following with the argument that
slave and right are contradictory to each other, and that slaves did not have the right to give up
their liberty nor did the slaveholder have the right to take liberty from his slave. (Rousseau)
Supporters of the abolition movement, influenced by Rousseau and other transcendental
writings, argued that slavery was an immoral institution and directly contradicted the line all
men are created equal in the United States constitution. When Abraham Lincoln passed the
Emancipation Proclamation in 1861, he solidly confirmed the philosophic and spiritual beliefs of
the transcendentalists into the political and social life of American culture.

The institution of slavery was proven immoral by the transcendentalist movement and
those influenced by it showing that the enslavement of a people was no longer accepted in
contemporary American society, this ultimately changed American culture by verifying that all
men are created equal and set the stage for future social and political movements. The doctrine
of the inherent goodness of man was the main driving point behind the immorality of slavery by
showing the moral corruptions of man when he becomes involved with an institution.
In conclusion, transcendentalists created a truly unique American culture and identity by
showing the world that the shackles of tradition holding down social and political progress could
and surely would be crushed by the heart of American society. The inherent goodness of man
truly became in bedded in American culture by creating a new national sense that it was
Americas duty to protect the rights and independence of individuals, and defend those who did
not have the voice or strength to defend themselves. In the long run, the influence of American
transcendentalism and its doctrine of the inherent goodness of man and its influence on the
abolition of slavery influenced American foreign policy today. Transcendentalism made America
a force for good, for better or for worse.

Works Cited
"The Transcendental Movement." Novelguide. Web.16 Nov. 2014.
Thomas, Dylan. "A Brief Guide to Romanticism." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 2004. Web.
15 Nov. 2014.
Gura, Philip F. "Transcendentalism and Social Reform." History Now. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History, Web. 15 Nov. 2014.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, and Charles Frankel. "The Subject of the First Book." The Social Contract.
New York: Hafner Pub., 1947. 5. Print.
"The Act of 1807." The Abolition of The Slave Trade. The New York Public Library, Web. 17 Nov.
2014.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-Reliance. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1975. Print.