Timeline of David Hume’s Life and Times
In order to better understand what might have influenced David Hume to write the footnote, we wanted to better understanding what was happening in the world while David Hume was alive. This would help us answer questions like:
Did Hume know any black people?
Was his view on race challenged in his own time?
Did his ideas change the world we live in?
This timeline below is a snapshot of key events during David Hume’s life and legacy. It was not possible to include every event but this aims to give a sense of what was happening in the world when Hume was alive and how the things he did and who he interacted with may have influenced him.
The timeline was developed in consultation with academics from across the UK.
Image descriptions and credit (in chronological order):
Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Great Britain: The History Trust of South Australia
Grassmarket, Edinburgh Old Town: Internet Archive
Bridge over the River Forth: National Galleries of Scotland
Bristol Docks: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
The Porteous Riots: James Drummond
College of La Flèche: Grentidez
Urquhart Castle: Wikimedia, Big Albert
David Hume: National Galleries Scotland
Chest of the British Linen Bank: Alf van Beem
Portrait of a Man in a Red Suit: Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
A plantation in Jamaica: James Hakewell
The University of Aberdeen: Aberdeen Art Gallery
George Washington: Metropolitan Museum of Art
David Hume: National Galleries Scotland
Parliament Hall, Edinburgh: Ewan McCall
Statue of David Hume, Royal Mile: Ewan McCall
