1. Cotton Mather By: Timothy J. Neri

2. Cotton Mather's Life Born: March 19, 1663 Boston, Massachusetts Died: February 13, 1728 Boston, Massachusetts Lived to be 64

3. Childhood Eldest son of Increase and Maria Mather Mather's father was minister to the Second Church in Boston, agent of the colony to England, and nonresident president of Harvard College from 1685 to 1701 Mather was expected to follow his father's footsteps

4. Family/Personal Life Married Abigal Phillips in 1686 o Had nine children Abigal died in 1702, married the widow Elizabeth Hubbard o Had six children Elizabeth died in 1713, married Lydia George in 1715, and she went insane His fifteen children, six made it to adulthood, and only two outlived him He had three widowed sisters, causing money problems

5. Eudcation From his father's training, Mather he had remarkable progress through schooling. Admitted to Harvard College at age twelve. He loved studying in philosophy and science. He received his first masters degree at age 19.

6. Career Puritan Minister Author o natural history, church music, moral essays

7. Religious Practices Puritan o Puritan Minister Very strict puritan practicer

8. Salem Witch Trial Involvement Mather tried to show the reality of spirits o Tried to show ghosts and other supernatural beings Urged Strong punishment in the Devil's work Even though he had a strict interpretation, he believed in a milder punishment other than death for people accused of witchcraft and magic.

9. Salem Witch Trial Involvement Mather didn't take part in trials He even told judges to not believe the spiritual evidence, such as ghosts In his book Magnalia Christi Americana said he dissaproved how the trials were ran o Even though he wrote this, he never voiced his opinion at a trial or to anyone except through literature

10. Works Cited "Cotton Mather Biography - Life, Family, Children, Parents, Story, Death, History, Wife, Young, Son." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Advameg, Inc., 2011. Web. 07 Nov. 2011..