Cotton Mather's Curiosa Americana, Scientific Letters to the Royal Society - (Ideas and Practices, 1300-1850) (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

At the crossroads of faith and science, Cotton Mather-Puritan minister, political figure and fellow of the Royal Society-pursued a rigorous inquiry into the natural world. Between 1712 and 1724, he sent over 80 letters to the Royal Society, engaging with the same intellectual network as luminaries such as Isaac Newton, Edmond Halley and Robert Boyle. His Curiosa Americana letters document New England's flora and fauna, unusual meteorological events, medical advancements and transatlantic scientific discourse, revealing Mather as a pivotal figure in the early Enlightenment, deeply engaged in the era's defining debates.

This volume presents the first complete, scholarly edition of Curiosa Americana, offering transcriptions and annotations that illuminate Mather's contributions to natural philosophy. His observations-ranging from smallpox inoculation and germ theory to "monstrous" births and marine volcanoes-capture the dynamic interplay between science, religion and colonial identity. Accompanied by a substantial introduction, the collection situates Mather within the broader networks of the early modern Republic of Letters, challenging long-held assumptions about the intellectual landscape of colonial America. Essential reading for scholars of early modern science, intellectual history, and Atlantic studies, this work restores Mather's letters to their rightful place in the history of transatlantic knowledge production.