Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson was born to a Unitarian minister of Boston on May 25, 1803, but his father died when he was eight years old. He went to Harvard and followed his father into the ministry, being ordained in 1829. He left the ministry when his wife died at the young age of 20, in 1831, and he felt he could not longer server communion. In 1834, his brother Edward died of tuberculosis, and his youngest brother, Charles, died in 1836. He felt the threat of severe health on his lungs a year later.

His life was a stormy one, with periods of intense grief, followed by periods of fame. He would spend much time in self-examination, and grew from his experiences. He traveled Europe a few times, and was well received. He became a philosopher, orator and poet, and a much loved and respected American figure. His house partially burned in 1872, and this marked a downturn in health. He left to travel Europe and Egypt and returned to cheering crowds and a rebuilt house. He died on April 27, 1882.