Thomas Babington Macaulay became one of the most popular writers of his day, his

History of England

rivalling even Dickens in popularity, both in England and America. This fame for his

History

capped a life in which he had already achieved renown for his oratory in the House of Commons and his writings in the

Edinburgh Review

.

Macaulay was born on October 25th, 1800, at Rothley Temple in Leicestershire, the country seat of his uncle, Thomas Babington, after whom he was named. Babington was active in the anti-slavery movement with his brother-in-law, Zachary Macaulay, Thomas’s father. Zachary Macaulay, the son of a Scottish Presbyterian minister, had converted to abolitionism and Evangelicalism after living in Jamaica and becoming revolted at the conditions produced by slavery. He later

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Citation: Goldfarb, Sheldon. "Thomas Babington Macaulay". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 August 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2838, accessed 19 March 2024.]

2838 Thomas Babington Macaulay 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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