Cousin Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American lecturer, essayist, and poet, best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and he disseminated his thought through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.

Ralph carried the mitochondrial DNA of Mayflower passenger Elizabeth Tilley. He was anti-slavery during the emotional times prior to, during and after the civil war. He was a friend to Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau.

For more about Ralph Waldo Emerson, see Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson

It turns out that Ralph Waldo Emerson is my 5th Cousin, 7 times removed. Ralph and I were both descended from Thomas Emerson, my 11th Great Grandfather.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Rev. William Emerson Jr. (1769 - 1811)

Father of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rev. William Emerson Sr. (1743 - 1776)

Father of Rev. William Emerson Jr.

Rev. Joseph Emerson (1700 - 1767)

Father of Rev. William Emerson Sr.

Deacon Edward Emerson (1670 - 1743)

Father of Rev. Joseph Emerson

Rev. Joseph Emerson (1620 - 1680)

Father of Deacon Edward Emerson

Thomas EMERSON (1584 - 1666)

Father of Rev. Joseph Emerson