On 9 March 1776 Adam Smith published ‘The Wealth of Nations’.
It was published in two volumes with books 1-3 in volume 1 and 4&5 in the second volume.
Smith’s work was published amid the Industrial and Agricultural Revolutions. His ideas were hugely influential, leading to a new way of tbinking about the economy that was itself quite revolutionary: it basically sees the end of mercantilism as a workable theory.
The Wealth of Nations had an impact on a wide range of areas: economists, biologists, mathematicians and politicians have all referenced Smith’s work.