author
Roger Bigelow Merriman
1876–1945
A Harvard historian with a gift for turning the politics of early modern Europe into vivid narrative, he became especially known for his multi-volume history of the Spanish Empire. His work helped bring rigorous archival research to a wider English-speaking audience.
1 Audiobook
Life and Letters of Thomas Cromwell, Vol. 1 of 2 Life, Letters to 1535
by Roger Bigelow Merriman
About the author
Born in Boston on May 24, 1876, Roger Bigelow Merriman studied at Harvard, earned advanced degrees there, and continued his training at Oxford and in Berlin. He went on to teach history and political science at Harvard, where he spent most of his career.
Merriman was known for applying the research-driven historical methods associated with German scholarship. He wrote widely on Tudor England and Habsburg Spain, and he is especially remembered for his major studies of the Spanish Empire and for work on figures such as Thomas Cromwell.
Beyond his writing, he was a prominent academic presence in Boston intellectual life. He served as Gurney Professor of History and Political Science at Harvard and was the founding master of Eliot House. He died on September 7, 1945.