Distinguished scholar Nell Irvin Painter offers an extraordinary analysis of Ralph W. Emerson’s “English Traits” and its historical importance in the Journal of American History (March 2009).
If you cannot get a copy quickly, here is a video of the lecture that shaped the essay.
http://www.videodust.com/v/08/03/30/oah-2008-nell-irvin-painter-part.html
To DaVinci, From Imhotep 