Comments on: Cotton Mather, Marvel Supervillian?

By: Twitted by jeffmather

Twitted by jeffmather — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:03:47 +0000

[...] This post was Twitted by jeffmather [...]

By: Jeff Mather

Jeff Mather — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:56:27 +0000

I think I also said something like “How many witches do you have to press to get some frickin’ respect in the Commonwealth these days?” Thus, I answered my own question about why my family is never going to be publicly lionized.

By: Leslie M-B

Leslie M-B — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:40:36 +0000

I can testify that, on Thanksgiving Day 2004, Jeff Mather and his wife took me to Salem, Massachusetts, where he earnestly asked, “Where can a man press a witch in this town?”

(We also visited Boston, where–surprise, surprise!–the name “Mather” does not appear among those of other notables inscribed on just about every surface of the statehouse.)

By: Jeff Mather

Jeff Mather — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:31:42 +0000

BTW, awesome comic and use as a pedagogical tool.

By: Jeff Mather

Jeff Mather — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:29:28 +0000

Okay, “Mather,” I have heard this re-revisionist story from one of my relatives, but no one has ever cited the evidence for it. I’ve even had relatives say things like this: “While Cotton Mather hunted the witches, our branch of the family kept the witches in their barn to keep them from getting persecuted.” I haven’t been presented references to support that either.

But we do have plenty of evidence that Cotton provided the expert testimony for how to identify and use “spectral evidence.” I dare say, the trials could have been over before they really got going if Cotton had said it was all B.S.

BTW, since we’re wallowing in family lore, I’ll come clean and say that someone in the way-back of my family married the granddaughter of William Stoughton, the Salem witch trials judge. Those must have been great family reunions: “Grandpa Will and Great Uncle Cotton are finally going to tell how many stones it takes to get a witch to confess.” Gov. Bradford is thrown in the mix there, too. (Slightly more detail: http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2007/09/the-english-in-america/ )

By: Publick Occurrences » Nicolas Cage, National Menace

Publick Occurrences » Nicolas Cage, National Menace — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:03:41 +0000

[...] remotely averse to popular culture, even when it takes some liberties with early American history. Cotton Mather as a super-villain? No problem! Who doesn’t love a mind-controlling Puritan with a fire-shooting cross? I can [...]

By: Mather

Mather — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:00:07 +0000

I have known for a long time about Being related to Cotton Mather and the thing that is often missed is that his father Increase Mather was passive and allowed the Salaem Witch trials to occur but Cotton was the one who stepped in and put a stop to them. He was based out of Boston and when he found out about them he stopped them. That is often misrepresented in many history texts. He is often villified as the cause of the witch trials but that is exactly the opposite of what happened.

By: jimgroom

jimgroom — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:08:04 +0000

Angie,

You have no idea how jealous I am right now. Look hard enough in your attic, and you might even find a fire-breathing cross!

By: Angie

Angie — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:38:17 +0000

This is so crazy, ive been researching my family history and come to find out im related to Cotton Mather! Then to find out hes a comic book character? Whoa. How many people can say that?

By: jimgroom

jimgroom — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 00:15:24 +0000

Dr. Zombieswan

With a handle like that, how could you not teach this! In fact, I actually did some hunting after I foud this gem and got the actual comic from 1976, and let me tell you, it is, in and of itself, quite teachable as a text. I was teaching criminal narratives and public executions, and there is a whole discussion of executions in regards to the Salem Witch Trials, really amazing. Glad you found this one useful.