William Robertson (1721–1793)

The Scottish clergyman, rector of the University of Edinburgh (1762–1792) and a key representative of the Scottish enlightenment, William Robertson (1721–1793) was one of the most widely-read historians of the 18th century (The history of Scotland, 1759; The history of the reign of the Emperor Charles V, 1769; History of America, 1777). Establishing the divide between profane and Church history, he replaced the insular perspective of English historiography with a Euro-centric approach. He his counted amongst the founders of modern academic history.

William Robertson (1721–1793), etching following a contemporary oil painting, 1777, artist unknown; source: Robertson, William: The history of America, Leipzig 1777.