Prospero's America: John Winthrop, Jr., Alchemy, and the Creation of New England Culture, 1606-1676

Description

"Prospero's America" examines the transfer of alchemical culture to America by one of English colonization's early giants, John Winthrop, Jr. Winthrop participated in a pan-European network of natural philosophers who believed alchemy could improve the human condition and hasten Christ's Second Coming. Walter Woodward demonstrates how Winthrop and his philosophy influenced New England's cultural formation: its settlement, economy, religious toleration, Indian relations, medical practice, witchcraft prosecution, and imperial diplomacy. Winthrop's commitment to pansophic reform led him to found a "new" London in 1645 as an alchemical research center. That commitment underpinned both his broad religious tolerance and his steadfast advocacy for the Pequot Indians; he overcame harsh censure largely through his expansive administration of alchemical medicine. Winthrop's occult knowledge provided him great authority in witchcraft cases, which as governor he used to permanently put an end to Connecticut witchcraft executions. In England, alchemical networks linked Winthrop to court patronage, which helped him obtain--and later defend--Connecticut's remarkable royal charter. "Prospero's America" reconceptualizes the significance of early modern science in shaping New England hand in hand with Puritanism and politics. "Prospero's America" examines the transfer of alchemical culture to America by one of English colonization's early giants, John Winthrop, Jr. Winthrop participated in a pan-European network of natural philosophers who believed alchemy could improve the human condition and hasten Christ's Second Coming. Walter Woodward demonstrates how Winthrop and his philosophy influenced New England's cultural formation: its settlement, economy, religious toleration, Indian relations, medical practice, witchcraft prosecution, and imperial diplomacy. Winthrop's commitment to pansophic reform led him to found a "new" London in 1645 as an alchemical research center. That commitment underpinned both his broad religious tolerance and his steadfast advocacy for the Pequot Indians; he overcame harsh censure largely through his expansive administration of alchemical medicine. Winthrop's occult knowledge provided him great authority in witchcraft cases, which as governor he used to permanently put an end to Connecticut witchcraft executions. In England, alchemical networks linked Winthrop to court patronage, which helped him obtain--and later defend--Connecticut's remarkable royal charter. "Prospero's America" reconceptualizes the significance of early modern science in shaping New England hand in hand with Puritanism and politics. Acknowledgments Contents List of Illustrations Introduction 1: John Winthrop, Jr., and the European Alchemical Movement of the Early Seventeenth Century 2: The Republic of Alchemy and the Pansophic Moment 3: Founding a New London 4: Which Man’s Land? Conflict and Competition in Pequot Country 5: Alchemical Vision Refined 6: “God’s Secret”: John Winthrop, Jr., Alchemical Healing, and the Medical Culture of Early New England 7: The Magus as Mediator: Witchcraft, Alchemy, and Authority in the Connecticut Witch-Hunt of the 1660s 8: “Matters of Present Utility”: John Winthrop, Jr., the Royal Society, and the Politics of Intelligence in Restoration New England Afterword Index