This chapter is divided into two sections. The first provides an overview of the Age of Aspirations, from approximately the 1780s to the 1920s. This period was marked by an intense exploration of arbitration in all its forms. In private relations, arbitration was commonly used to settle commercial disputes, for example through the many trade associations in Europe. In the public arena, when used among states, arbitration was seen as a way of fostering peace and stability. The Age of Aspirations lasted until the 1920s, when arbitral institutions were founded, the importance of merchants and statesmen yielded to that of members of these arbitral institutions, and various efforts were made to recognize the validity of arbitration clauses. The second section of this chapter is more theoretical and looks at how a history of international commercial arbitration may be written. It explores various historical methods and approaches, and draws attention to methodological pitfalls that may be encountered when studying the history of international arbitration, especially its distant origins.