Sir William Blackstone is recognized as one of the great legal commentators of English law, whose work helped shape the foundations of U.S. criminal and civil law. Blackstone, a British legal scholar, published his major works in the years just preceding the American Revolution. These works have continued to be studied for their analysis of English common law.

Blackstone was born on July 10, 1723, in London, England. He attended Oxford University, where he studied mathematics and logic. Blackstone received a civil law degree in 1745 and became a barrister in 1746. However, his first years in legal practice were not successful. Therefore, he returned to Oxford and earned a doctor of civil law in 1750.

In 1751, Blackstone accepted an appointment on the Chancellor's Court, which was a court of equity rather than of law. His sojourn was brief, due to his growing interest in the history and principles of common law...