Magnalia Christ AmericanaThis is a featured page

1. Miller, Elizabeth W. and Kenneth Ballard Murdock. “Magnalia Christi Americana, Books I and II.” Belknap Press, 1977. Google Books. 20 June 2010. This book retells the biographical background of Cotton Mather. It tells of the motivations, and beliefs that stimulated Mather’s writings and includes some of his most prized work, including Magnalia Christi Americana. This was found using Google Books, a reliable source to finding online material.


2. Daly, Robert S. “Review [Untitled].” Early American Literature. 25. 3. (1990): 321-323. JSTOR. Web. 20 June 2010. This article discusses Cotton Mather and the genealogical tree including his father, Increase, and Increase’s father, Richard. It gives a background of the famed bloodline, as well as, a list of and reprinting of some of their most acclaimed publications such as "Magnalia Christi Americana." This article was found using JSTOR, a credited and reliable online database for finding online materials.



3. Lucas, Paul R. "The Life and Times of Cotton Mather (Book Review)." American Historical Review. 90. (1985): 478-79. Academic Search Premier EBSCO. Web. 25 June 2009.
The purpose of this article is to discuss the things that made people dislike Mather as well as discuss the Puritan viewpoints he lived out and represented. It also looks at Mather himself not just the critiques of him. He is important to know as an author because he was a great leader of the time. His works exemplify the changes in what he found important and his change in maturity. This source helped in understanding Mather’s writing style. Additionally, it clarified why the character of his work was so unique to him. This source is credible because it was written by a professor from Indiana University and came from a credible database known for its scholarly material.

4. Heim, William J. “Cotton Mather: Overview.” Reference Guide to American Literature. Jim Kamp Ed. St. James Press, 1994. Literature Resource Center. 19 June 2008.
This article is a general review of Cotton Mather’s writing style. It talks about how he often wrote with a very pompous tone and that his attempts at chronicling history were often very biased. However, the author states that from a less historical point of view, people can look at Mather’s writings as pure religious texts.His practice in writing sermons can be seen in his works. The article notes that Mather was generally more well known for the importance of his name than his work. This article helped me to understand Mather’s writings and what they were about. It also helped me to understand more about the Puritan era because of the themes in Mather’s works. This article is credible because it has a state author and publishing date.

Magnalia Christi Americana

"Magnalia Christi Americana." Biblia Americana. Web. 18 June 2010.

Texts Online:



"Cotton Mather: Satisfaction in God." YouTube- Broadcast Yourself. 30 Apr 2010. Web. 18 June 2010.

Insight Papers



Relevant Literary Themes:

  • Identity: writes of Puritan beliefs
  • The American Dream: discusses the "American Dream" attribute in accordance to Puritan beliefs
  • The Frontier: discusses New England's opportunities and development

Relevant Literary Terms:

  • Point of View: includes Mather's and Puritan's religious beliefs
  • Setting: includes brief history about the current or past time period
  • Tone/Style: uses a "lecturing" tone when speaking about religious subjects


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