(January 10, 1834–June 19, 1902), was an English historian. He was a member of the House of Commons, 1859–65; was editor of the journal Rambler, 1859–64. He served as Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge University and as editor of the massive Cambridge Modern History, 1899–1900. His works include: The History of Freedom in Antiquity, 1877; The History of Freedom in Christianity, 1877; and Democracy in Europe, 1878.
In 1877, Lord Acton declared concerning liberty:
That great political idea, sanctifying freedom and consecrating it to God, teaching men to treasure the liberties of others as their own, and to defend them for the love of justice and charity more than as a claim of right, has been the soul of what is great and good in the progress of the last two hundred years.2705
In a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, dated April 5, 1881, Lord Acton wrote:
All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.2706