Note 3 — Chapter V · BOSTON IN THE FORTIES

In the preface Bancroft says that he has formed the design of writing our history “to the present time.” “The work will extend to four, perhaps five, volumes.” In fact, four volumes carried him to 1776. When he died he had published twelve, which brought him to 1789. One volume of this series, which advances the history only one year, followed its predecessor after two years.