Piecework: Finding and Recognizing Renaissance Science

This paper will explore the problems and payoffs associated with expanding the canon of what constitutes early modern science. By investigating methodological, theoretical, and conceptual issues in light of recent work in the history of science, I will argue that recent work by historians of gender history and urban history provide useful models. Case studies will be drawn from English archival sources to illustrate the argument, covering the period from 1500-1700.