Adam Smith’s project of developing a theory of social organization and progress involved a need to understand the world around him. That is, he had to interpret his experiences and his observations of human interaction and organization. Part of his inquiry included the examination of history. He examined peoples and civilizations of the past to determine the fit between the historical record and his developing theory. He used his knowledge of history to populate his writings with numerous examples, and he used these examples in providing commentary on the lessons to be learned from them. Based on his understanding of history, Smith speculated about the underlying ‘mechanism’ propelling human cooperation and progress through time.