The problem of distinguishing and enumerating different forms of knots is one of the oldest issues in topology. It is intuitive yet surprisingly difficult and lies at the center of a rich web of relationships with other branches of mathematics and the natural sciences. This book describes the history of the mathematical study of knots from its beginnings in the 18th century to the development of a modern mathematical knot theory in the first half of the 20th century. The emergence of knot theory also serves to discuss broader historical questions. How has mathematical knowledge been produced over the last two centuries? And how can the profound changes in mathematical culture at the beginning of the 20th century be understood historically? Knot theory has evolved over time.