Catharine Macaulay

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Catharine Macaulay Criticism

Catharine Macaulay (1731-1791), an eminent eighteenth-century British historian, philosopher, and feminist, stands out as England's first renowned female historian. Known for her advocacy of political liberty and feminism, Macaulay's most significant work, the eight-volume History of England (1763-83), offered a republican narrative of British history, critiquing the British monarchy and championing revolutionary ideals, as noted in Catharine Macaulay: Eighteenth-Century Rebel. Her history challenged the writings of David Hume, advocating for popular sovereignty and critical of the monarchy's failure to ensure true liberty, themes she explored further through her political pamphlets. Despite her fall from social grace in England due to scandalous personal choices, her ideas continued to resonate in revolutionary France and America, where she was admired by figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, highlighting her influence in shaping Enlightenment thought and reformist politics, as discussed by Mrs. Macaulay.

Contents

  • Principal Works
  • Essays
    • The Celebrated Mrs. Macaulay
    • Mrs. Macaulay
    • Catharine Macaulay: Eighteenth-Century Rebel
    • Catherine Macaulay and the Seventeenth Century
    • Catharine Macaulay and the Uses of History: Ancient Rights, Perfectionism, and Propaganda
    • Catharine Macaulay: Historian and Political Reformer
    • An Opportunity Missed: Catherine Macaulay on the Revolution of 1688
    • Catherine Macaulay's History of England: Antidote to Hume's History?
    • Catharine Macaulay's History and her Catalogue of Tracts
    • ‘As Easy as a Chimney Pot to Blacken’: Catharine Macaulay ‘the Celebrated Female Historian’
    • Catharine Macaulay's Letters on Education: Odd but Equal
    • Catharine Macaulay: Patriot Historian
  • Further Reading