How does either the role of religion, or the influence of Britain in early American

culture show up in the early literature (pre-1865) and what impact does it have on
form and content.

During the 1800s, a movement that had an impact on literature relating to religion was American
Romanticism. This movement shared many characteristics with British romanticism.
Romanticism refers to the influential styles of music, art, and literature. Authors that have pathed
the way of this movement are ones that we have seen in Norton Anthropology such as Henry
David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, and Walt Whitman. These writers were
able to create influential works and shape the idea of self-worth, with was the central idea of
what American Romanticism was all about.

From American writers such as Thoreau and Whitman, we can see how they are able to reflect on
their own life however, bring these strong influences into their writings. Henry David Thoreau’s
“Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” talks about nature and the simplicity of living with
nature at Walden Pond. Also, Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” talks about discovering who he
is and what is in himself. Thoreau and Whitman had the common knowledge towards the new
movement. Both of these authors are able to express themselves within self-confidence and
individualism, which was the idea of American Romanticism.

The role of religion had a large impact in early literature. As this was only one movement
identified, the American Romanticism is closely related to the movement of Transcendentalism.
As the explanation for American Romanticism has been seen, Transcendentalism really paved
the way for the role of religion within early literature. Transcendentalism had been a branch off
of Romanticism with Emerson and Thoreau being the leaders within this movement. As they
were also romantics, they wanted a way to ground their religion into the works of literature.
Transcendentalism had seen the way of religious renewal. Transcendentalists also wanted to
include their philosophy and religion into their works.

As we read Emerson’s poems, we may a hard time seeing what Emerson believed him. Emerson
tried to include his religious beliefs somehow within his poems and works. How upon further
inspection, Emerson’s beliefs were Unitarianism. Emerson made an effort to try and include
sustaining a relationship with God within his works. As Unitarianism was apart of Christianity,
worshippers did not believe in the holy trinity being the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Within Emerson’s “Nature”, he includes the works of “Self Reliance” where in this work, he
leads the way of Transcendentalism within this essay. Emerson talked about who you are and
what is in your mind. As Emerson talked about how your mind is the most elemental and central
part of yourself and how you become individual. However, this was the Unitarian way or
Transcendentalist way of thinking. To Transcendentalists, God is their soul. They believe nothing
more, God is within the mind and the soul. Since Transcendentalists did not believe the Holy
Trinity, they however saw God as being apart of them. As Emerson explains the mind being the
central part of your self-reliance, he is also saying that God is the central part of being individual,
this was how he was able to influence God within his works.
Also, God was not only with them, but also gave the absolute truth, or eternal life.
Transcendentalists did not see God within man, but as the absolute truth. Man is not God, or evil,
or anything in between, but seen as the life and soul that make up people as Emerson describes.

As Emerson is able the path the way of Transcendentalists, he shows us how religion and his
beliefs influence early American literature. People are able to use their beliefs to make
connections to simple ideas, meanings, and objects within their works and poems, Emerson
along with many others were many of those people who were recognized centuries laters for who
they were and what they did.