Cotton Mather (1663-1728) was a New England Puritan minister, prolific author, and pamphleteer. He is best known for his role in the Salem witch trials and his writings on the subject of witchcraft. Mather was a strong advocate for the scientific study of medicine and played a significant role in the early development of smallpox inoculation in America. Mather was the son of Increase Mather, another prominent minister, and he graduated from Harvard College at a young age. Throughout his life, he wrote over 400 works, including religious texts, histories, and scientific treatises. His influence extended beyond religion, impacting early American thought and culture.