Full Description
This book explores the lively chemistry culture that arose during the 17th century in Colonial New England. This was chiefly due to the efforts of John Winthrop, Jr. who brought both chemical knowledge and the largest library of chemical books in the New World to Boston. He founded towns, such as Ipswich and New London, and industrial enterprises, such as salt works and ironworks, while also serving as the primary source of Paracelsian medicines, which led him to become the most famous physician in Colonial New England. Moreover, the book covers topics such as the founding of Harvard College, and the life and works of Cotton Mather, especially Magnalia Christi Americana, one of the most important vanity volumes in the history of scholarly publication.
Contents
Introduction.- The Puritan Mind in the 17th Century.- The Errand into the Wilderness.- John Winthrop, Jr.: The Making of an Adept.- Ipswich: Founding a Town in New England.- Return to England (1641) and the New England Ironworks.- New London and the Alchemical Plantation.- Obtaining the Charter for Connecticut and Election to the Royal Society of London.- The Winthrop Circle in New England.- Harvard College and 17th Century Chemistry.- Conclusions and Reflections.
