Salem - accusations Flashcards
(19 cards)
Cotton Mather
what was Mather’s background?
- he and his father were senior Puritan clergymen in Massachusetts
- comprehensive religious training which enabled him to write extensively, and he became an authority on Puritanism in the colonies
Cotton Mather
why is Cotton Mather’s authority significant?
as an authority, he would be widely respected, and so his views on witches would be highly influential
highly convincing when preaching about witches - would relay his own encounters with witches
Cotton Mather
what did Cotton Mather publish?
over 400 books
‘Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions’ (1689)
* extensive account of Goodwin possessions
* a sermon warning against the presenice of witches and offering advice on how to detect them
* acted as inspiration/a guide for the Salem hunt
Cotton Mather
what were the Goodwin possessions?
influenced possessions at Salem
1688: Martha Goodwin accused the family laundress of theft
The Laundress’ mother, Mary Glover, confronted Martha who was soon afflicted by fits, as were her siblings
* local doctor attributed this to witchcraft
Cotton Mather
how was Mary Glover an outsider?
she only soke Gaelic and she was an outsider
* people were naturally suspicious of those who spoke a different language
* Puritans saw Catholicism to be based on magic
Cotton Mather
what happened to Mary Glover, and how was Cotton Mather involved?
arrested and her house was searched, which revealed dolls she claimed she used in witchcraft
Mather interviewed her in person and failed to rid her of the Devil or convert her to Puritanism
* During the interview, she named other witches who had assisted her in bewitching the children
* Mather never revealed the names because he believed that women who made a pact with the Devil were inclined to lie
confessed to being in league with the Devil at her trial
insitigators
who was Samuel Parris and what was his role?
Puritan minister of Salem
encouraged the witch hunt
* his preaching widened pre-existing divisions in Salem - delivered a sermon claiming the church was under seige by the Devil, assisted by wicked men in the community
instigators
what was the role of children?
1691: Elizabeth parris and Abigail Williams experiemented with fortune telling and shared findings with other young girls
1692: Eliabeth and Abigail exhibied strange behaviour, which local Doctor Williams Griggs attributed to witchcraft
Ann Putnam, friends with the other girls, showed similar symptoms and claimed she was possessed
Mary Walcott - first to suffer fits
Mercy Lewis accused 8 people and gave evidence against them
Elizabeth Hubbard was one of the leading accusers
* testified against 29 people, 17 of whom were arrested, and from that 13 hanged
would often collapse and scream in agony when they saw the accused
instigators
what motivations have been suggested for the children?
- selfish frauds, persuing accusations out of spite
- bored and frustrated with stifled upbringing in Puritan New England
- psychological disorders
- traumatised by Indian attacks
instigators
who was Tituba?
- servant for the parris family
- mixed Caribbean and African heritage (outsider)
instigators
what was Tituba’s role in the craze?
looked after the children and may have told them stories of demonic possession and voodoo
* may have influenced their fantasies
Mary Sibley, Mary Walcott’s aunt, asked Tituba to make a witch’s cake to counter possessions
* unsuccessful, girls’ fits worsened
* Samuel Parris filed charged against Tituba, which triggered the hunt
cnfessed to a pact with the Devil and named other witches
nature of victims
role of gender in the accused
majority were women
only 20% were men, most of whom had connections to accused women
nature of victims
what are common characteristics of the first 3 accused?
social outcasts, and their low social standing was associated with the Devil
* Tituba - servant, Caribbean and African descent
* Sarah Good - destitue, her family was homeless and resorted to wandering the streets and begging
* Sarah Osborne - lived with an unmarried Irish indentured servant
trials
what evidence did the girls give against the first 3 accused?
spectral evidence - highly convincing at first
claims the witches forced them to sign the Devil’s book, suckled familiars, and caused their fits
trials
what was Governor Phips’ role?
established a Court of Oyer and Terminer to officially hear the cases
trials
how many were accused?
165 were accused, but only 39 faced serious charges
* confession improved chances of survival
trials
what occured at the trials?
girls continued to react when the accused gave their testimonies
Devil’s mark used as evidence
sepctral evidence accepted
trials
why were convictions easily made?
- spectral evidence was accepted by the court
- the accused were only allowed few resources to mount a defence
- petitions from neighbours testifying the good character of the accused were generally ignored
- gossip from Salem Village was accepted as evidence
executions
what was the outcome of the trials?
10 June 1692: Bridget Bishop was the first to be hanged
22 September: 19 had been hanged and one tortured to death
