author

Buckingham Smith

1810–1871

Drawn to the hidden stories of early Spanish North America, this 19th-century scholar turned rare manuscripts into readable history. His work helped preserve important accounts of exploration, Florida, and the peoples and places of the Southeast.

1 Audiobook

Grammatical Sketch of the Heve Language Shea's Library of American Linguistics. Volume III.

Grammatical Sketch of the Heve Language Shea's Library of American Linguistics. Volume III.

by Buckingham Smith

About the author

Born on Cumberland Island, Georgia, in 1810, Thomas Buckingham Smith became a lawyer, diplomat, antiquarian, and author. He studied law at Harvard, spent part of his career in public service, and was closely connected to Florida, where he also served in the territorial legislature.

Smith is best remembered for his deep interest in the early Spanish history of North America. He researched, translated, and published important historical documents, especially those connected with Florida, the Southeast, and Spanish exploration. His editions of narratives such as those related to Cabeza de Vaca and Hernando de Soto helped make difficult early sources more accessible to later readers.

He died in New York City in 1871. Although not a household name today, he played a lasting part in preserving records that historians still value.