About
Guillaume-Thomas Raynal, born on April 12, 1713, in Lapanouse (Rouergue) and died on March 6, 1796, in Chaillot, was a French clergyman turned historian and Enlightenment philosopher. After studying with the Jesuits, he was ordained a priest and served at Saint-Sulpice before leaving the clergy. He directed the Mercure de France from 1750 to 1754, then devoted himself to writing. His major work, the Philosophical and Political History of the Settlements and Trade of the Europeans in the Two Indies (1770), written with collaborators such as Diderot, condemned slavery, colonialism, and intolerance. Condemned by the Church and the state, it was burned in 1781, forcing Raynal into exile.
* 1713-04-12 — † 1796-03-06
Major works
- Histoire du stathoudérat (1748)historical essay
- Histoire du parlement d'Angleterre (1748)historical essay
- Anecdotes historiques (1753)collection of anecdotes
- Histoire philosophique et politique des établissements et du commerce des Européens dans les deux Indes (1770)philosophical history
Key milestones
- 1754Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London.
- 1781His History of the Two Indies is condemned to be torn and burned by the executioner in Paris; Raynal goes into exile.
- 1795Becomes a member of the Institute of France.
Themes
colonialismslaveryreligious intoleranceEnlightenmentsocial criticism
Sources: britannica.com · id.loc.gov · protocat.nla.gov.au