Journaling in Context: New England's Great Thinkers

This course introduces the New England Transcendental diarists of the 19th century, including: Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Bronson Alcott. Students read significant journal entries written by these authors, and learn how to develop their own personal journal. Students take part in investigative exploration of journal entries from the 19th century with the objective of understanding chronological events, gathering insight regarding local and national matters, and correlating past cultural events to contemporary issues. Topics of discussion and research will consist of: social activism, utopian communities, societal experimentation, consumerism and industrialism, and personal philosophy.