Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Philadelphia, in 1832. The daughter of transcendentalist Amos Bronson Alcott and social worker Abigail May, she grew up in an intellectually stimulating environment, with friends such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. During the American Civil War, she served as a volunteer nurse. "Little Women", published in 1868, was based on her experiences with her three sisters and became an immediate success, cementing her place in American literature. She also wrote "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys", sequels to "Little Women", as well as other novels, short stories, and articles. Alcott was a strong advocate for women's rights and the abolitionist movement. She passed away in Boston in 1888.