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Louisa May Alcott. Chris Haines, Henry Rogano, and Gary Marchuttes. Biography. Born in Germantown PE, Nov. 29 1833 Frequently visited Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau Struggled with poverty for most of her life
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Louisa May Alcott Chris Haines, Henry Rogano, and Gary Marchuttes
Biography • Born in Germantown PE, Nov. 29 1833 • Frequently visited Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau • Struggled with poverty for most of her life • Father joined the Transcendental club with Emerson and Thoreau after moving to Boston • Began writing starting with stories of being a nurse in the civil war • Most successful with little women • Died Mar. 16 1888 at the age of 55
The Movements • Transcendentalism • Abolitionism • Women's Suffrage in later life
Abolitionism • Antislavery • Equal rights • Created tension leading up to the civil war • Battle between north and south
How she was involved • "I became an Abolitionist at an early age,“ • In 1830 went to a series of lectures in Boston on abolitionism • Samuel May was her relative who was also an abolitionist and strong believer of equal rights • Housed a runaway slave for a week in 1847 • Nurse during the civil war to help any way she could
Transcendentalism • tran·scen·den·tal: adjective • 1. surpassing, or superior. 4.idealistic, lofty, or extravagant. • Philosophy that divinity pervades nature and humanity • Focused on moving back to basics and respecting nature • Finding balance • Man was his best when self reliant and independent • Organized religions and political parties corrupt
Her involvement in transcendentalism • Thoreau and Emerson were both fellow Bostonians along with her father in the transcendental club • This led to a childhood that was saturated with transcendental ideals from her father and mother • Tried to create “Fruit lands” as a model community • Inspiration for Transcendental wild oats • Wrote literature in order to create a new American style of writing
Literature • Most Famous: Little women- a story of 4 sisters and their struggles to find themselves, which is very similar to Alcott's life • Significance: represents the sisters desire for independence and their ability to be autonomous • Related to her fathers Transcendental Ideals as well as her views for equal rights
Women's Suffrage • Movement for women's rights • Specifically the right to vote • Started around the same time in the 1848 from the Seneca falls convention • Evolved from Equal rights for men being fought in the abolitionist movement
How she was involved • Fueled by her equality driven thoughts she fought for women to have the right to vote • Alcott became a advocate for suffrage in her later life when she was the first to vote in a Concord, Mass. School board election • Unfortunately the movement didn’t come to fruition due to the interruption of the civil war • Overshadowed by Abolitionism during the time period • Not until 1920 did women get the right
Bibliography • Goodwin, J.. "Louisa May Alcott." Dictionary of Unitarian and universalist biography. Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography, 2011. Web. 12 Mar 2012. <http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/louisamayalcott.html>. • Harrold, S.. Abolitionist movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar 2012. <http://autocww.colorado.edu/~toldy2/E64ContentFiles/WorldHistory/AbolitionistMovement.html>. • Unknown, . "Louisa May Alcott Biography." Biography.com. Television Networks, 2011. Web. 12 Mar 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/louisa-may-alcott-9179520