Cotton Mather was born on February 12, 1663, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Increase Mather and Maria Cotton. His father was a prominent Puritan minister, and his maternal grandfather, John Cotton, was also a notable clergyman, deeply influencing Cotton’s future path. Mather entered Harvard College at the age of 12 and graduated in 1678. He initially aimed to follow in his father’s footsteps as a minister and succeeded,