MultiHub Forum

I'm teaching a Western Civ survey course and preparing a unit on the Scientific Revolution, but I'm struggling to move beyond the standard narrative of a few "great men" like Galileo and Newton to give my students a richer understanding of the broader intellectual and social shifts. I want to highlight how changes in methodology, the role of institutions like the Royal Society, and even patronage systems enabled this transformation. For other history instructors, what primary sources, lesser-known figures, or thematic approaches have you found most effective for illustrating the complexity of this period and helping students see it as a gradual, contested process rather than a sudden triumph of reason?