James Boswell, An Account of Corsica: The Journal of a Tour to that Island

Ian McGowan (University of Stirling)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Nicole Kennedy (University of Newcastle), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele), Sean Seeger (University of Essex)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1768

Places

Scotland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Non-Fiction
- Guidebooks / Travel writing

Resources

James Boswell was encouraged by the philosopher Rousseau to visit Corsica, then (1765) the focus of political thinkers for its independence struggle against the “old” Europe of Genoa but not well known at first hand. Impressed by the qualities of its leader, General Paoli, Boswell campaigned in the British newspapers, lobbied the Elder Pitt to intervene, and personally sent thirty cannon from the Carron Ironworks at Falkirk. An ironic consequence of the ultimate failure of Paoli was that one of the first babies born under the conquering French jurisdiction was Napoleon Bonaparte, son of Paoli's adjutant. Influential in Boswell's campaign was his Account of Corsica (1768), partly an unoriginal synthesis of geography and history, partly the Journal of his tour, drawing from his diaries to present the Rousseauist theme of Corsican primitive simplicity and the...

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447 words

Citation: McGowan, Ian. "An Account of Corsica: The Journal of a Tour to that Island". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 January 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6713, accessed 05 December 2025.]

James Boswell, An Account of Corsica: The Journal of a Tour to that Island

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