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Which famous writers and thinkers lived near Nathaniel Hawthorne in Concord, Massachusetts?
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Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne's ancestors in Salem, Massachusetts, were Puritans named Hathorne. He added a w to his name when he began writing.
When Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife, Sophia Peabody, moved to the Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1842, they lived among several prominent writers and thinkers associated with the Transcendentalist movement.1
The leading figures residing in or near Concord during this period included:
- Ralph Waldo Emerson: A central philosopher of the movement who moved beyond his Unitarian roots to advocate for insights transcending logic and experience.12
- Henry David Thoreau: A naturalist, essayist, and associate of Emerson known for his practical philosophy and work at Walden Pond.12
- Bronson Alcott: A philosopher and educator who was a key member of the local Transcendentalist circle.12
While Hawthorne welcomed the companionship of these neighbors, he maintained a degree of personal distance from them, as he was often skeptical of intellectuals and artists. Outside of this circle, he also maintained a close friendship with his former college classmate, Franklin Pierce, who would later serve as president of the United States.1