The American School of Classical Studies at Athens was founded in 1881 with the ambition to promote scholarly research into the ancient Greek world, advancing both the study and preservation of classical antiquity. It was the result of the increasing interest in the study of classical languages and archaeology in the United States, as well as the intellectual currents of the 19th century. By this time, Greek and Roman antiquities were becoming increasingly significant to scholars in Europe and the United States, and a need for more systematic excavation, preservation, and academic study emerged. The establishment of the American School, with its focus on the Greek classical tradition, was an extension of the broader intellectual currents in Europe and the United States, where the study of antiquity was part of a growing global interest in archaeology, philology, and history.