The American Scholar an Address

Delivered to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard in 1837, this speech is considered a seminal work of American literature. Emerson argues that American scholars should break free from European intellectual traditions and forge a distinctly American culture and identity. He calls for a new kind of intellectual independence, one that values creativity, self-reliance, and a deep connection with nature. The American Scholar remains a powerful statement of the American ideal of individualism.

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