Exploring Cotton Mather’s Curiosa Americana

Original author：CongregationalLibrary

Original source：https://www.youtube.com/embed/IlrZGr_-GXw

Our 2026 Cotton Mather Lecture featured a roundtable with scholars Dr. Reiner Smolinski, Dr. Ken Minkema, and Andy Juchno, editors of a new critical edition of Cotton Mather’s "Curiosa Americana" letters. 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. You can purchase "Cotton Mather's Curiosa Americana: Scientific Letters to the Royal Society" via the publisher here: https://boydellandbrewer.com/book/cotton-mathers-curiosa-americana-scientific-letters-to-the-royal-society-9781914967078/?wmc-currency=USD Explore some of the Curiosa Americana letters that have been digitized and transcribed by our New England's Hidden Histories project in our digital archive at https://congregationallibrary.quartexcollections.com/Documents/Detail/curiosa-americana-1723/105313 Our three previous Cotton Mather Lectures are available via this YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4ZC9cUfPKMCmCuSx0vD4P1-oljMIuX0m Find our annotated bibliography of all books and manuscripts related to Cotton Mather in the Congregational Library & Archives’ collection at https://congregationallibrary.org/cotton-mather-bib ------------------- CHAPTERS: 0:00 Welcome and Introductions 3:07 Reiner Smolinski 8:47 Ken Minkema 14:25 Andy Juchno 16:46 Q: What subjects are covered in Mather's Curiosa Americana letters, and why did he write them? 31:43 Q: Where does Mather find his information, and how did the British Empire play a role in the production/dissemination of this knowledge? 40:16 Q: Are Mather's letters connected to conversations on the European continent, or are they limited to respondents in England? 41:26 Q: How many languages did Mather know/use? 42:22 Q: Were Mather's letters an advertisement/promotion for intellectual life in New England? 44:30 Q: What is the connection between puritanism and early evangelicalism in the context of the enlightenment and early modern science? 47:41 Q: Does Mather's understanding of science change over time? 51:05 Q: What were Mather's views on alchemy and Nishmat Chaim (breath of life)? 56:14 Final Thoughts and Thanks ------------------- Connect with the Congregational Library & Archives online: • Website: https://congregationallibrary.org • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CongregationalLibrary • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/congregationallibrary • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/congrelib.bsky.social • Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CongregationalLibrary