Richard Hildreth

Richard Hildreth


Richard Hildreth (June 28, 1807 - July 11, 1865), American journalist, writer, and historian. He is best known for writing his 6-volume History of the United States of America for 1497-1821. And published it in 1840-1853. Historians consider this a very accurate political history of the early republic, but with a strong bias in favor of the federalist party and the abolition of slavery. Hildreth was born in Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was the son of Hosea Hildreth (1782-1835), who was a teacher of mathematics and then a minister of the community. He studied at the Phillips Exeter Academy, starting in 1816, and remained for seven years after that. In 1826 he graduated from Harvard College. After studying law in Newburyport, he was admitted to a bar in Boston in 1830.