The Link Between Puritanism and Transcendentalism Essay Sample

The essay “The Link Between Puritanism and Transcendentalism” by Katherine K. Preston provides a comprehensive overview of the historical and philosophical connections between the two movements. Preston skillfully argues that while the two movements had different beliefs, Puritanism provided the foundation for Transcendentalism to develop their own form of utopia. The Puritans’ focus on perfectionism and the “American Dream” of creating a society of elite people under God laid the foundation for the Transcendentalists’ emphasis on individuality and free will. The essay also provides a detailed examination of the social reform experiments undertaken by the Transcendentalists, which ultimately failed. However, the Transcendentalist movement continued to pursue the idealistic society that