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East Hoelscher

Cooper

English 1301

November 13, 2017

The Greatness of the Common Man

During the Romantic literary movement, Transcendentalism deeply impacted the

Antebellum Era and marked many changes in public opinion in the United States. Throughout

numerous historical events and literary works, there repetitively occurs a motif of the inherent

goodness of man. Specifically, there exists an interconnectedness between this motif, the

goodness of man and the idea of the role of America in the world. This motif is further developed

in the literary works, “Civil Disobedience” and “Self Reliance.”

One prominent public opinion during the Antebellum Era was the idea that America was

destined to be a global leader. One proponent of that opinion was President Thomas Jefferson. In

his inaugural address, Jefferson claims that he believes in “[a government] where every man, at

the call of the law, would fly to the standard of the law, and would meet invasions of the public

order as his own personal concern” (Jefferson). This is significant, as Jefferson’s ideas are

closely connected to idea that the citizen makes the best leader and the motif of the common

man’s goodness. Additionally, he goes on to explore the idea that “sometimes it is said that man

can not be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government

of others?” (Jefferson). Through this rhetorical question, it becomes apparent to the audience that

President Jefferson is attempting to display the United States as a global leader. He essentially

describes how, since the U.S. is worthy of governing themselves, they possibly might be worthy
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of governing other nations. This is connected to the motif of the goodness of man, as it shows

how the idea of American moral superiority would justify its position as a world leader.

One such practical example of America as a world leader is the idea that the United States

was destined to spread its borders throughout the entire North American continent. John L.

O'Sullivan, an American columnist, is accepted as the first person to use the term “Manifest

Destiny” to describe his thoughts on expansionism. O'Sullivan describes how “[the United

States] regards the entire development of the natural rights of man, in moral, political, and

national life, we may confidently assume that our country is destined to be the great nation of

futurity” (O’Sullivan). Essentially, the author is describing how, due to the high regard for

natural rights and overall superiority of the U.S., the country is destined to have a strong future.

O’Sullivan goes on to explain how “the far-reaching, the boundless future will be the era of

American greatness. In its magnificent domain of space and time, the nation of many nations is

destined to manifest to mankind the excellence of divine principles” (O’Sullivan). This

highlights the idea that, as a nation, the United States will achieve greatness by growing their

borders, and in doing so, will have to ability to bring their superior beliefs to others. The idea

that the United States is a morally superior leader closely follows the idea that there exists a

goodness of man. By describing the destiny to rule, O’Sullivan connects this to the idea that

Americans are naturally good superior to others.

In addition to the historical events of the time, many literary pieces, during the Romantic

Movement, also reflected this motif of the innate goodness of man. One such work in “Civil

Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau explores the idea that citizens should act in a

manner they see morally correct and not simply fall to the expectations of society. He describes
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how, “to be strictly just, [a government] must have the sanction and consent of the governed. It

can have no pure right over [one's] person and property but what [they] concede to it” (Thoreau).

He goes on to explain how “there will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State

comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own

power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly” (Thoreau). Thoreau is arguing that,

at the core of government, lies the governed. He claims that it is of the utmost importance that

the rights of these people never be abridged, and that if this were to be the case, the citizens must

enact changes to be made immediately. “Civil Disobedience” falls within the motif of the

inherent goodness of man, as it describes how the citizen is naturally inclined to be the best

leader based on their high moral regards.

Similar to “Civil Disobedience”, “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson also

incorporates the motif of the goodness of man. Emerson’s essay highlights the necessity for one

to follow their own morals and avoid conformity to the values of others. He describes how “it is

easy to see that a greater self-reliance must work a revolution in all the offices and relations of

men; in their religion; in their education; in their pursuits; their modes of living; their

association; in their property; in their speculative views” (Emerson). With this, Emerson is

essentially describing how revolutions of common practice are both initiated and completed by

acts of self reliance and opinion. In a way, he crafts his language to demonstrate to his audience

the importance of having well defined opinions and values and not letting them become

distracted by the ideas of others. This demonstrates the significance of the motif of the goodness

of man, as it demonstrates how one’s natural values are correct and should be followed, as

opposed to relying on the opinions of others.

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The Romantic Movement and Antebellum Era contained an extremely clear motif, the

goodness of man. Through historical events, such as President Jefferson’s inaugural address and

cultural movements like Manifest Destiny, the role that America played in the world reflected

one clear motif, the goodness of man. This motif was further reflected throughout Antebellum

Era literature. “Civil Disobedience” and “Self Reliance” were just two examples that promoted

the idea of the goodness of man, a motif that was prevalent throughout the mid-19th century.
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Works Cited

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Self reliance.” Conversations in American Literature, edited by Aufses,

Robin Dissin, et al., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015, pp. 590-600.

Jefferson, Thomas. “First Inaugural Address.” Yale University, 4 Mar. 1801, avalon.law.yale.edu/

19th_century/jefinau1.asp. Accessed 10 Nov. 2017.

O’Sullivan, John L. "The Great Nation of Futurity." Mount Holyoke University, 1839,

www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/osulliva.htm. Accessed 10 Nov. 2017.

Thoreau, Henry David. “Civil Disobedience.” University of Virginia, 1849, xroads.virginia.edu/

~hyper2/thoreau/civil.html. Accessed 9 Nov. 2017.