▁revolution ary ▁soldier , ▁a ▁leading ▁Un itar ian ▁cl erg yman ▁and ▁author ▁of ▁a ▁popular ▁life ▁of ▁George ▁Washington . ▁B anc ro ft ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Wor c ester ▁and ▁began ▁his ▁education ▁at ▁Phill ips ▁Ex eter ▁Academy ; ▁he ▁entered ▁Harvard ▁College ▁at ▁th ir teen ▁years ▁of ▁age . ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 7 , ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁Harvard , ▁class ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 7 , ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁study ▁in ▁Germany . ▁Ab road , ▁he ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁univers ities ▁of ▁Heidel berg , ▁Gött ingen ▁and ▁Berlin . ▁At ▁Gött ingen ▁he ▁studied ▁Pl ato ▁with ▁Arnold ▁He eren ; ▁history ▁with ▁He eren ▁and ▁Gott lie b ▁Jakob ▁Plan ck ; ▁Arab ic , ▁Heb rew , ▁New ▁Testament ▁Greek ▁and ▁script ure ▁interpretation ▁with ▁Albert ▁E ich horn ; ▁natural ▁science ▁with ▁Johann ▁Friedrich ▁Bl umen bach ; ▁German ▁literature ▁with ▁Georg ▁Friedrich ▁B ene cke ; ▁French ▁and ▁Italian ▁literature ▁with ▁Ar ta ud ▁and ▁Bun sen ; ▁and ▁class ics ▁with ▁Georg ▁Lud olf ▁D issen . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 0 , ▁he ▁received ▁his ▁doctor ate ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Gött ingen . ▁ ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Heidel berg ▁Sch lier bach , ▁where ▁he ▁had ▁stayed ▁during ▁his ▁studies ▁in ▁Heidel berg ▁University . ▁He ▁founded ▁a ▁learning ▁community ▁for ▁natural ▁science ▁and ▁religion ▁called ▁Heidel bridge ▁Community ▁College , ▁which ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 5 ▁became ▁Heidel bridge ▁University ▁of ▁Science .