William H. Prescott

William Hickling Prescott ( born May 4, 1796 in Salem, Massachusetts, † 29 January 1859 in Boston ) was an American historian.

He was the grandson of William Prescott, who commanded the American forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War; his father was a renowned lawyer. From 1811-1814 he studied at Harvard University. At the beginning of his studies he went blind almost as a bread crumbs, with which a fellow student threw him in the cafeteria at Harvard, established himself in his eye. Throughout his life remained his vision severely impaired.

1815-17 he traveled to Europe and began the study of European literature and history, particularly the Spanish. This field of research had been previously developed and popularized in the U.S. by Washington Irving. 1837 appeared Prescott's first major work History of Ferdinand and Isabella (3 volumes ) by the Catholic Monarchs and established him as one of the most renowned American historian. He then dealt in detail with the history of the Spanish colonies in the New World; 1843 History of the Conquest of Mexico ( 3Bd. ) 1847 Conquest of Peru ( 2 vol ). His last work, a monumental biography of Philip II, History of Philip II, remained unfinished; until his death published three volumes. 1870-1874 seemed a first sixteen volume work issue. His longtime friend George Ticknor wrote in 1864 a biography of Prescott.

Prescott spent on the study of the sources for many years in Europe; his immense diligence is all the more impressive if his visual impairment. Prescott took after his blindness a Noctographen to write his books. His works shine with a great wealth of detail and its stylistic and narrative quality and therefore have found inclusion in the canon of American literature.