A literary and philosophical movement called transcendentalism developed in the United States in the first half of the nineteenth century. This movement is a reaction to certain eighteenth century rationalist doctrines and involves the rejection of strict Puritan religious attitudes. (Parrington 375). Transcendentalism is strongly influenced by Deism and opposes the strict ritualistic and dogmatic theology of all established religious institutions. (Parrington 375). Transcendentalist's of this period are opposed to weakening Calvinistic views regarding the corruption of …showed first 75 words of 2054 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2054 total…Henry D., et al. "The Norton Anthology of American Literature." Civil Disobedience. 4th Ed. Vol. 1, New York: W. W. Norton and Company. 1994. 1705-1711. * "Henry David Thoreau." Dictionary of Literary Biography. "American Renaissance in New England: Colonization to the American Renaissance, 1640-1865." Detroit: 1978. 174. * Vivas, Eliseo. "Thoreau: The Paradox of Youth." In the New Student, Vol. 7, No. 23. (March 7, 1928) 5-8, 15. Rpt. in * Nineteenth Century Literary Criticisms, Ed. Janet Mullane, et al. Vol. 21. Detroit: Gale Research Company. 1989. 317-318. 42 vols.