What was Adam Smith’s first job after returning from Oxford?

After returning to his home in Scotland in 1746 following six years of study at Oxford, Adam Smith sought suitable employment. Through family connections and the support of Lord Henry Home Kames, he secured the opportunity to present a series of public lectures in Edinburgh.12

These lectures, which were a popular form of education at the time, covered a wide range of subjects, including rhetoric, belles lettres, history, and economics. The success of these lectures made a significant impression on his contemporaries and helped launch his academic career, leading to his appointment as a professor at the University of Glasgow in 1751.12