What Emerson said

Emerson was born into a pastor's family. His father, William Emerson, was a well-known Unitarian pastor. Emerson's father died two weeks before his eighth birthday (1811), and he was raised by his mother and aunt. The following year he was sent to Boston Latin School. In October 1817, when Emerson was 14 years old, he enrolled at Harvard University and was appointed freshman representative, a status that gave him free accommodation. In order to supplement his meager salary, he would go to Uncle Ripley's school in Vashon, Massachusetts, for tutoring and teaching during the winter vacation. While in school, he read a large number of works by British romantic writers, which enriched his thoughts and broadened his horizons. After Emerson graduated from Harvard in 1821, he assisted his brother in setting up a school for young women in his mother's home. This was after he established his own school in Chelmsford; Emerson ran the school while his brother went to G?ttingen to study theology. Emerson spent the next few years as a president, then entered Harvard Divinity School, where he emerged as a Unitarian minister in 1829.