Cause - Social Tensions

Question 1

What were the beliefs of the Puritans in Salem?

Answer 1

• God’s chosen people
• Concerned with seeking signs of God’s approval and the presence of the Devil at all junctures in life
• Ignoring the Scientific Revolution (Instead the work of the Devil)
• Women inferior to men (Eve was tempted)

Question 2

What were the two major settlements?

Answer 2

• Salem Town
• Salem Village
• 600 people in total

Question 3

What was Salem Village like?

Answer 3

• Most of accused
• Largely agricultural
• Well-established and staunch Puritans
• little contact with outside world

Question 4

What was Salem Town like?

Answer 4

• Travel through the main Ipswich Road
• More contact with the outside world
• Less religious
• Established as merchants
• Resisted to independence from the Village as they relied on the agriculture

Question 5

Why were there tensions between Salem Town and Village?

Answer 5

• Conflict of how communities should be run
• Village - old-fashioned, agricultural-based, puritan was concerned with public goodwill
• Town - merchants with private interests

Question 6

Who was a prominent family in Salem Village?

Answer 6

• Putnams
• Salem Village
• Heavily involved in the accusation
• Leaders of the separation movement and opposed the Porters (richest family in Salem)

Question 7

Who was a prominent family in Salem Town?

Answer 7

• Porters
• The richest family in Salem
• Number of business interests across New England
• Attempted to stop the witch craze
• Many allies found themselves under suspicion

Question 8

Define - Theocracy

Answer 8

A system of government in which God is held to be supreme ruler and clergy are involved in the day to day running of the state.

Eg. Salem