Final answer:
Ralph Waldo Emerson is considered the father of Transcendentalism due to his philosophical and literary contributions to the movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The father of Transcendentalism is Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was an American essayist, poet, and lecturer who is known for his philosophical and literary contributions to the Transcendentalist movement. Emerson's essays, including "Self-Reliance" and "Nature," explored the individual's relationship with nature, intuition, and the divine.
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