In the mid-nineteenth century, the American Renaissance sprung forth, causing a sudden change in morals and values of the American people. The idea of transcendentalism, a philosophical movement that focuses on an individual connection with God and nature rather than a strict connection to the church also influenced the culture of Americans. The short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne mocks the American church and depicts the hypocrisy of it as well. Hawthorne was a man who challenged the church, while being religious himself. He, while not the most known contributor to the transcendentalist movement, was important nonetheless in aiding the progression of a more tolerable American culture. Historians believe that Transcendentalism