Robertson’s History of America

6R William Robertson. London: W. Strahan, T. Cadillac, and J. Balfour, 1777. Two Volumes

Notes

Robertson’s History of America is a major Enlightenment-era historical work by the Scottish historian William Robertson, one of the leading intellectual figures of the eighteenth century. The book examines the discovery and early colonization of the Americas by European powers, with particular attention to Spanish expansion, indigenous civilizations, and the encounter between Old and New Worlds. Robertson approaches the subject with a philosophical and comparative mindset, drawing on contemporary travel accounts, missionary reports, and classical history to analyze American societies, geography, and customs. While shaped by the assumptions and limitations of its time, the work was influential for its breadth, clarity, and attempt to treat American history as a serious field of scholarly inquiry, and it helped shape European understanding of the Americas during the late Enlightenment.

Description 

Brown leather cover with gilt lettering and embossing on spine. Bumped corners. Minimal foxing. Fine condition overall.