Sixth edition of Encyclopædia Britannica published

Publication Context. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia, published since 1768 and issued in 15 editions. The sixth edition falls within the first era (1768–1824), managed by founders Colin Macfarquhar and Andrew Bell and by Archibald Constable. Multi-volume supplements were issued to the third edition and to the fourth, fifth, and sixth editions as a group. No supplied passage gives a publication date for the sixth edition; the 1 January 1820 date is a legacy placeholder, and the first era ends in 1824.

Editorial Structure. The first era saw the Britannica managed by its founders and Archibald Constable. While Smellie is often characterized as the editor of the first edition, he was not an editor in the same sense as Macvey Napier, who edited the Supplement to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Editions. This distinction highlights the evolving editorial roles during the publication of the sixth edition.

Historical Setting. The Britannica was first published in serial instalments between December 1768 and about August 1771 in Edinburgh, as the Encyclopædia Britannica, or, A Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, compiled upon a New Plan. Edinburgh therefore stands as the sourced locality for the work's publication, including the sixth edition's era; no supplied passage ties a specific Edinburgh site to the sixth edition itself.