William Hickling Prescott (May 4, 1796 – January 28, 1859) was an American historian and Hispanist, who is widely recognized by historiographers to have been the first American scientific historian. Despite having serious visual impairment, which at times prevented him from reading or writing for himself, Prescott became one of the most eminent historians of 19th century America. He is also noted for his eidetic memory.
After an extensive period of study, during which he sporadically contributed to academic journals, Prescott specialized in late Renaissance Spain and the early Spanish Empire. His works on the subject, The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic (1837), The History of the Conquest of Mexico (1843), A History of the Conquest of Peru (1847) and the unfinished History of the Reign of Phillip II (1856–1858) have become classic works in the field, and have had a great impact on the study of both Spain and Mesoamerica. During his lifetime, he was upheld as one of the greatest living American intellectuals, and knew personally many of the leading political figures of the day, in both the United States and Britain. Prescott has become one of the most widely translated American historians, and was an important figure in the development of history as a rigorous academic discipline.[2][3] Historians admire Prescott for his exhaustive, careful, and systematic use of archives, his accurate recreation of sequences of events, his balanced judgments and his lively writing style. He was primarily focused on political and military affairs, largely ignoring economic, social, intellectual, and cultural forces that in recent decades historians have focused on. Instead, he wrote narrative history, subsuming unstated causal forces in his driving storyline.[4]
Early life
Coat of Arms of William H. Prescott
A statue of a man wearing cape and hat, and holding a sword standing to the left
A bronze statue of Prescott's grandfather William Prescott in Charlestown, Massachusetts
William H. Prescott was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on May 4, 1796, the first of seven children, although four of his siblings died in infancy.[5] His parents were William Prescott Jr., a lawyer, and his wife, née Catherine Greene Hickling. His grandfather William Prescott served as a colonel during the American Revolutionary War.[6]
Prescott began formal schooling at the age of seven, studying under Mr. Jacob Knapp.[7] The family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1808, where his father's earnings substantially increased.[8] His studies continued under Dr. John Gardiner, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church.[9] As a young man, Prescott frequented the Boston Athenæum, which at the time held the 10,000-volume private library of John Quincy Adams, who was on a diplomatic mission to Russia.[10][11] In 1832, Prescott became a trustee of the library, a position he held for 15 years.[12]
Prescott enrolled at Harvard College as a second year student (sophomore) in August 1811, at the age of 15.[13] He was not considered academically distinguished, despite showing promise in Latin and Greek. Prescott found mathematics particularly difficult, and resorted to memorizing mathematical demonstrations word-for-word, which he could do with relative ease, in order to hide his ignorance of the subject.[14][15][16] Prescott's eyesight degenerated after being hit in the eye with a crust of bread during a food fight as a student, and it remained weak and unstable throughout the rest of his life.[17] Prescott was admitted to the Phi Beta Kappa Society as a senior, which he considered a great personal honor,[18] and graduated from Harvard in 1814. After a short period of rheumatic illness, he embarked on an extended tour of Europe.
Prescott first traveled to the island of São Miguel in the Azores, where his grandfather and Portuguese grandmother lived.[19] After two weeks, he left for the cooler climate of London, where he stayed with the distinguished surgeon Astley Cooper and the oculist William Adams.[20] Prescott first used a noctograph while staying with Adams; the tool became a permanent feature of his life, allowing him to write independently in spite of his impaired eyesight. He visited Hampton Court Palace with future American president John Quincy Adams, at the time a diplomat in London, where they saw the Raphael Cartoons.[21] In August 1816, Prescott traveled to Paris, but later moved on to Italy, where he spent the winter. He returned to Paris in early 1817, where he chanced to meet the American Hispanist George Ticknor, and made another visit to England. Prescott spent some time in Cambridge, where he saw the manuscripts of Isaac Newton's works, and returned to the United States in the same year.[22] Prescott's first academic work, an essay submitted anonymously, was rejected by the North American Review in late 1817.[23] After a short period of courtship, he married Susan Amory, the daughter of Thomas Coffin Amory and Hannah Rowe Linzee, on May 4, 1820.[24]
William Hickling Prescott was an American historian and Hispanist born on May 4, 1796. Despite significant visual impairment, he became one of the most eminent historians of the 19th century in America. Prescott specialized in the study of late Renaissance Spain and the early Spanish Empire. His works, such as "The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic" (1837), "The History of the Conquest of Mexico" (1843), "A History of the Conquest of Peru" (1847), and the unfinished "History of the Reign of Phillip II" (1856-1858), are considered classic works in the field and have had a significant impact on the study of Spain and Mesoamerica.
Prescott's historical approach focused primarily on political and military affairs, with less emphasis on economic, social, intellectual, and cultural forces. He had an exhaustive and systematic use of archives, accurate recreation of sequences of events, balanced judgments, and a lively writing style. Prescott was also known for his eidetic memory.
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Prescott's parents were William Prescott Jr., a lawyer, and Catherine Greene Hickling. His grandfather, William Prescott, was a colonel during the American Revolutionary War. Prescott began his formal schooling at the age of seven and later attended Harvard College. Although not academically distinguished, he graduated in 1814 and embarked on an extended tour of Europe.
During his travels, Prescott visited the Azores, London, Paris, and Italy, among other places. He had the opportunity to meet influential figures, including John Quincy Adams and George Ticknor. Prescott used a noctograph, a writing tool, to overcome his impaired eyesight and continued to write independently. In 1820, he married Susan Amory, and throughout his lifetime, he was respected as one of the greatest American intellectuals.
Prescott's contributions to history as a rigorous academic discipline and his meticulous research methods are highly admired by historians. He passed away on January 28, 1859, leaving behind a legacy as the first American scientific historian and a pioneer in the study of Spain and Mesoamerica.