What does Transcendentalism mean in literature?

Transcendentalism is a movement that is located in
American thought in the 19th Century.  It was one of the first literary and intellectual
movements in America.  Of the many things that Transcendentalism means, the fundamental
idea sought to inject emotions into daily life and paradigms of thought.  Essentially,
the Transcendentalists saw life and consciousness as an exercise for emotions and
emotional thought.  They wanted to bring more emotions into how human beings acted and
thought.  In doing so, the movement asserted a couple of truths that ended up defining
it.  The first was the call to individuality.  Transcendentalists were strong advocates
of being an individual and breaking away from conformist society.  It is fromt the
Transcendentalist thinkers that we get the idea of "walking to a different drummer" and
"Know thyself."  These notions develop the idea that doing what society says might not
be the best course of action.  Transcendentalism ended up becoming strongly associated
and almost defined by this call to individuality and the zealous defense of
it.