George Ripley was acquainted with many writers in his day. Most of the people he associated himself with shared his beliefs, and were transcendentalists. This group of people tended to band together, forming newspapers, magazines and even a transcendentalist community. Among the writers he knew were: Margaret Fuller, Charles Anderson Dana, Karl Marx, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and many more.
George Ripley was involved with many activities, in which he was able to meet some of the most famous people of his day. These activities included: being a writer and part of the staff for an newspaper called the N.Y. Tribune. This particular newspaper was founded by a man named Horace Greeley. The Tribune was dedicated to serious news, and open to many different opinions. Another way Ripley was able to be acquainted with writers in his time, was his creation of a short-lived utopian society called Brook Farm. It was located in West Roxbury, Mass., near Boston. Ripley was also involved in editing a transcendentalist magazine called The Dial. The magazine only ran for about four years, (1840-1844), and only about 300 issues were printed. Some of his works were also printed in this magazine. This wasn't his only editing job. He was also editor of the New American Cyclopedia.
Through his involvement of the N.Y. Tribune he became acquainted with other members of the staff, such as Margaret Fuller, Charles Anderson Dana, Bayard Taylor, H.J. Raymond, Carl Schurz, John Hay, Albert Brisbane, Whitelaw Reid, Henry James, Charles Congdon, and Karl Marx
.George Ripley was the founder of Brook Farm. This small utopian society had their own school. Some of the speakers that were asked to come to give lectures at this school were Bronson Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Theodore Parker. Some of Brook Farm's earliest members include Nathanial Hawthorne.
George Ripley was one of the editors for The Dial. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller were also editors for this magazine at the same time as Ripley was. During this time he was also able to meet some of the people whose works were published in this magazine. Among these people were Bronson Alcott, Theodore Parker, and Henry David Thoreau.
Ripley was also involved in editing The New American Cyclopedia. He was able to work with other writers such as Karl Marx and Charles Anderson Dana during this time. They were also working as editors.
Throughout his career as a writer, editor, philosopher, and a religious thinker, George Ripley was able to become acquainted with many great people. These people were able to strengthen his ideas of transcendentalism. They shaped and encouraged his thoughts into something so great that he has become well-known because of them.