William Robertson’s Unfinished History of America. The Foundation of the British Empire in North America and the Scottish Enlightenment
Historian and clergyman William Robertson never completed his history of British America. His initial project, that of glorifying the power of the British Empire, no longer made sense when the Thirteen Colonies became independent. This paper analyses the reasons why Robertson nevertheless preserved...
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Association Française d'Etudes Américaines
2019-04-01
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| Series: | Transatlantica |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/10326 |
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| author | Florence Petroff |
| author_facet | Florence Petroff |
| author_sort | Florence Petroff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Historian and clergyman William Robertson never completed his history of British America. His initial project, that of glorifying the power of the British Empire, no longer made sense when the Thirteen Colonies became independent. This paper analyses the reasons why Robertson nevertheless preserved his manuscript, giving his son the opportunity to publish it posthumously. It explores the other designs of this narrative of the foundation of the first English colonies in North America. It argues that the Scottish historian developed a unionist approach of the empire and that he gave his History of America other meanings than just promoting colonization. Firstly Robertson explored the past of Virginia and New England in search for the roots of the eighteenth-century conflict between the Thirteen Colonies and the metropole. Secondly his study of New England society echoed the eighteenth-century controversy over the anti-Catholic laws in Scotland and supported his plea in favor of toleration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-da257c2003c84b6da0168fd92a1d54dd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1765-2766 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | Association Française d'Etudes Américaines |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Transatlantica |
| spelling | doaj-art-da257c2003c84b6da0168fd92a1d54dd2025-01-30T10:46:18ZengAssociation Française d'Etudes AméricainesTransatlantica1765-27662019-04-01210.4000/transatlantica.10326William Robertson’s Unfinished History of America. The Foundation of the British Empire in North America and the Scottish EnlightenmentFlorence PetroffHistorian and clergyman William Robertson never completed his history of British America. His initial project, that of glorifying the power of the British Empire, no longer made sense when the Thirteen Colonies became independent. This paper analyses the reasons why Robertson nevertheless preserved his manuscript, giving his son the opportunity to publish it posthumously. It explores the other designs of this narrative of the foundation of the first English colonies in North America. It argues that the Scottish historian developed a unionist approach of the empire and that he gave his History of America other meanings than just promoting colonization. Firstly Robertson explored the past of Virginia and New England in search for the roots of the eighteenth-century conflict between the Thirteen Colonies and the metropole. Secondly his study of New England society echoed the eighteenth-century controversy over the anti-Catholic laws in Scotland and supported his plea in favor of toleration.https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/10326lumières écossaiseshistoire de l’Amériqueabrogation des lois anticatholiquestolérance |
| spellingShingle | Florence Petroff William Robertson’s Unfinished History of America. The Foundation of the British Empire in North America and the Scottish Enlightenment Transatlantica lumières écossaises histoire de l’Amérique abrogation des lois anticatholiques tolérance |
| title | William Robertson’s Unfinished History of America. The Foundation of the British Empire in North America and the Scottish Enlightenment |
| title_full | William Robertson’s Unfinished History of America. The Foundation of the British Empire in North America and the Scottish Enlightenment |
| title_fullStr | William Robertson’s Unfinished History of America. The Foundation of the British Empire in North America and the Scottish Enlightenment |
| title_full_unstemmed | William Robertson’s Unfinished History of America. The Foundation of the British Empire in North America and the Scottish Enlightenment |
| title_short | William Robertson’s Unfinished History of America. The Foundation of the British Empire in North America and the Scottish Enlightenment |
| title_sort | william robertson s unfinished history of america the foundation of the british empire in north america and the scottish enlightenment |
| topic | lumières écossaises histoire de l’Amérique abrogation des lois anticatholiques tolérance |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/10326 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT florencepetroff williamrobertsonsunfinishedhistoryofamericathefoundationofthebritishempireinnorthamericaandthescottishenlightenment |