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Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) was a pioneering American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate. Born Sarah Margaret Fuller in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, she became a key figure in the transcendentalist movement and one of the most influential literary personalities of her time. Fuller's education was rich and extensive, a rarity for women in the early 19th century, and was largely influenced by her father, who provided her with a rigorous curriculum that helped shape her intellectual capabilities and feminist perspectives. As the first editor of the transcendentalist journal 'The Dial', Fuller became a crucial voice for social change, grounding her advocacy in both scholarship and activism. Her seminal work, 'Woman in the Nineteenth Century', is considered one of the earliest major feminist treatises, in which she argues for the independence and equality of women, building upon her calls for reform and self-assertion as documented in her reports in 'The New York Tribune'. Her literary style is marked by a blend of penetrating critique, passionate idealism, and a firm belief in the potential for personal and collective transcendence. The 'Complete Works of Margaret Fuller' embraces her wide-ranging contributions to literature including her extensive correspondence, writings on Italian politics, and her intimate reflections before her untimely death in a shipwreck. As an advocate, writer, and philosopher, Fuller's influence persists, formulating a critical foundation for subsequent generations of feminists and continuing to inspire those who encounter her powerful vision of social and personal transformation.
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