About
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, was a British historian, essayist, and politician. Born at Rothley Temple, Leicestershire, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, and became a barrister. He gained literary fame through his essays in the Edinburgh Review, then entered Parliament as a Whig MP. As a member of the Supreme Council of India, he authored the Minute on Indian Education (1835), which established English as the medium of higher education in India. He wrote Lays of Ancient Rome and the monumental History of England, which was hugely successful. Raised to the peerage in 1857, he was buried in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey.
* 1800-10-25 — † 1859-12-28
Major works
- Lays of Ancient Rome (1842)poetry
- Critical and Historical Essays (1843)essays
- The History of England from the Accession of James II (1849)history
Key milestones
- 1825Published his essay on John Milton in the Edinburgh Review, launching his literary career.
- 1835Authored the Minute on Indian Education, establishing English as the medium of higher education in India.
- 1857Raised to the peerage as Baron Macaulay of Rothley.
Themes
English historyPolitical reformEducation and languageImperialismLiterature and criticism
Sources: westminster-abbey.org · catalogues.royalsociety.org · dev.npg.org.uk