Salem Witch Trials

1. Salem Witch Trials Man’s Inhumanity to Man: A Colonial Travesty

2. Precedents for Salem in History What led to 19 hangings, one death by torture, four deaths in jail, and over 200 accusations in one small New England town?

3. C 560 BCE—“Thou shall not suffer a witch” Biblical Texts • Exodus 22:18 • Leviticus 20:27—A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones; their blood shall be upon them King James Version—read in Salem

4. C 420 CE: St. Augustine of Hippo Argues Witchcraft is an Impossibility • God alone can suspend the laws of the universe • It was the “error of the pagans” to believe in “some other divine power than the one God.” • Accepted in the Middle Ages that neither Satan nor witches had supernatural powers of any sort

5. 1208 Satan Becomes a Sinister Leader of Heretics • Pope Innocent III attacks Cathar heretics in France • Cathars say God and Satan are at war • Cathars depicted as kissing Satan’s anus • Satan’s reputation goes from a mischievous spoiler to a deeply sinister force

6. 1273—Thomas Aquinas • In Summa Theologian, he argues that the world was full of evil and demons • Demons reap the sperm of men and spread it among women • Sex and witchcraft have a long association • Not for pleasure, but to spread temptation

7. Mid 1400s—Witchcraft Trials Erupt • Papal inquisitions follow Cathars into Germany • Torture used on heretics for magical pacts and demon-driven sexual acts • Confessions of flying on poles or animals • Admit to covens, casting spells, sex with animals, causing storms • Witchcraft becomes a crime

8. 1484—Malleus Maleficarum Hammer of Witches • Report by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger to Pope Innocent VIII • Witches have sex with demons, abort babies, steal penises • Tells judges how to look for moles—sign of consorting with demons—and to bring witches to court walking backwards

9. Early to Mid 1500s—Protestant Reformation Brings Kill Rates Up • Hysteria across Europe as Christianity is questioned • Between 1500 and 1660, 50,000 to 80,000 were executed in Europe • Jean Bodin (On the Demon—Mania of Sorcerers, 1580) opens door to testimony by children, entrapment, instruments of torture

10. 1591—King James I Authorizes Kill • Torture of suspected witches in Scotland OK • Bride victim of storm from Denmark and honeymoon voyage rocky • Until 1597 abatement, it was the stake for accused witches

11. 1606: Shakespeare’s Macbeth A dark cave…in the middle a cauldron: 1 Witch: Thrice the brindled cat hath mew’d 2 Witch: Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin’d 3 Witch: Harpier cries:--’tis time! ‘tis time! 1 Witch: Round about the cauldron go; in the poison’d entrails throw—toad, that under cold stone, days and nights has thirty-one; swelter’d venom sleeping got, boil thou first i’ charmed pot! All: Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

12. 1640s—Witch-hunting Begins to Wane • 1640-1643 peak in France • English Civil War fueled hunting there • Thirty Years War (1618-1648) upsets Catholic Church • By 1648, Holland does away with punishment for witchcraft

13. 1682—England Executes Its Last • Temperance Lloyd, senile, hanged • Prosecution denounced by Lord Chief Justice Sir Francis North • Enlightenment (1680s ff) enlists empirical reason, skepticism and humanitarianism

14. Causes for the Outbreak A Strong belief that Satan is acting in the world • “The Invisible World”: disease, natural catastrophes, and bad fortune attributed to work of the devil • Puritans are ruled by a theocracy of ministers who are the “elected” ones • Xenophobia inheritably means you’re one of us or you’re damned into Lucifer’s Legion • Educated means at Harvard (in CT), founded in 1636 as a Congregationalist seminary to train ministers • Highly superstitious people and paranoid

15. What the Devil??? • Satan recruits witches (women) and wizards (men) to work for him • Many cases of witchcraft prior to 1692 in New England and Europe • Methods of discovery similar to those of the Spanish Inquisition for heretics (non-believers) • A person afflicted with witchcraft exhibits certain symptoms which can be feigned

16. Why Salem, Massachusetts? School Street, c. 1640

17. Salem, 1692

18. Salem, 1692 • Smallpox epidemic in full force leaves families devastated—deaths of infants, elderly, servants • Congregational strife in Salem—two churches rival for civic leadership • Frontier wars with indigenous peoples • Small plots of land not enough to expand and prosper due to adjoining neighbors • Teenage boredom—strict households, Bible reading required, kids have lots of work and responsibility, but no TV, iPods, dancing, or singing (except in church)

19. Could It Be the Bread? • Convulsive ergotism—fungus that grows on rye and causes hallucinations • Witch’s bread—urine-soaked rye bread fed to a dog would reveal the tormenter of “afflicted” • Theory popular, but unlikely

20. Maybe, Just the Times… • Judges and other officials were Puritan ministers and receptive of accusations • Spectral evidence was allowed in court • Confessed witches added credibility and accused others to avoid hanging • Property feuds spur charges • Reverend Samuel Parris was new to the town • Tituba, Parris’ Arawak Indian slave told some good stories and entertained the afflicted ones

21. Judges and Magistrates Wm Phips, Governor Samuel Seawall, Judge Cotton Mather Rev. Samuel Parris Wm Stoughton, Judge

22. This Was Mather Cotton Mather wrote a guide to finding witches—MemorableProvidences Devil’s tit: distinguishing mark Mole Freckle Scar A witch can’t drown Has a familiar—cat, dog, bird—to spy on victims Has odd behavior like not going to church, poor, successful, deaf, not a Separatist Cannot recite The Lord’s Prayer

23. Cotton Mather • Writes Memorable Providences to describe one case • Leading authority on Puritan theology and witchcraft • Celebrity status in Massachusetts • Father, Increase Mather, began family trade Ad for Mather’s book

24. Tituba • A slave brought by Parris from the Barbados • Arawak Indian from the Caribbean • Father rumored to be an Obi man from El Salvador • Told fortunes to the afflicted girls • Beaten by Parris into confessing and names others • Sold off after trials because she confessed

25. Tituba’s Lessons Parris household: girls told how to predict who they’ll marry Mary Warren claims Tituba tried to get her to sign the Devil’s book

26. The Accusers: Afflicted Girls • Betty Parris, daughter of the Minister, age 6 • Abigail Williams, niece of Rev. Parris, age 17 • Ann Putnam, Jr., playmate of Betty and daughter of policeman, age 11 • Mercy Lewis, orphaned friend of Abigail, age 17 • Mary Walcott, friend of Abigail, age 16 • Others about the same age who caught the hysteria • Claimed the spectral presence of the witches pinched them and caused the screaming

27. The Affliction Symptoms • Running about • Crawling under furniture • Contortion of limbs and face • Complaints of being pinched • Hearing voices of the witches or seeing their specters • Forced to participate in witchcraft Possible Causes • Stress, guilt, boredom • Convulsive ergotism • Vomiting, choking • Violent spasm • Crawling sensations • Hallucinations (LSD) • Epilepsy or asthma • Delusional psychosis • Hunger and/or poor diet

28. The First Accused • Sarah Good, a beggar and misfit, who had a 4 year-old daughter Dorcas, cursed at people • Sarah Osborn, an old and quarrelsome woman, who hadn’t gone to church for a year • Tituba Blamed for… • Cheese and butter going bad • Farm animals born with deformities • Sending specters to pinch the girls

29. Accused v Accusers Accused Witches Afflicted Accusers • More prosperous • Lived south of Salem • Not in Parris’ congregation • Over 18 • Tied to the Porter family • Poorer • Lived in town or village • In Parris’ congregation • Between 6 and 17 • Tied to the Putnam family

30. Tituba Named Names… • Bridget Bishop, aged 60, owned a tavern where customers played shuffleboard on the Sabbath first one on trial and hanged • Deliverance Hobbs and Mary Warren confess and name Bishop • Bishop carted off and hanged on Gallows Hill June 10, 1692

31. Round 2 July 19, 1692 • Rebecca Nurse • Sarah Good • Susannah Martin • Elizabeth Howe • Sarah Wildes

32. Trial Process

33. Examination of a Witch for Marks This is not usual. In Salem, a group known as the matrons examined for moles or places the devil or the familiar animal might attach to the witch

34. Round 3 August 19, 1692 • Rev. George Burroughs • Martha Carrier • John Willard • George Jacobs, Sr. • John Proctor Burroughs caused a near panic when he flawlessly recited The Lord’s Prayer

35. A Fate Worse Than Hanging • Giles Corey, 80 years old refuses to enter a plea • “pressed” with stones (peine et fort), but still refuses—”More” were reported as his last words, 09/11/1692 • September 22, 1692 the last of 19 witches were hanged Giles and Martha Corey Giles transcript

36. Pressed to Death

37. Round 4 September 22, 1692 • Martha Corey, Giles’ wife • Mary Eastey • Ann Pudeator • Alice Parker • Wilmot Redd • Margaret Scott • Samuel Wardwell

38. Prison Deaths Death LIST CONDITIONS • Sarah Osborn • Roger Toothaker • Lyndia Dustin • Ann Foster • Dorcas Good, age 4 • At least 13 others • Had to be fed, taken care of by family • Shackled • Tortured • No baths, light, toilet

39. Not Just the Weirdoes Were Accused • Rebecca Nurse, a pious woman, belonged to a competing congregation, found not guilt, but re-tried and hanged • John Proctor criticized the trials and was convicted along with his wife (given reprieve “for the belly”)—The Crucible • George Burroughs, former minister, accused ringleader

40. Legal System Allowed It! • No legal counsel • Could not call witnesses • No appeal • Testimony included • Hearsay • Gossip • Rumors • Unsupported stories • Girls’ screaming and contorting

41. In the end… • 19 convicted witches were hanged • 1 was pressed to death • 4, including Sarah Good’s four year-old daughter , died in prison • Over 200 were arrested and imprisoned • 2 dogs executed as accomplices The Salem Martyrs, Thomas Slatterwhite, 1869

42. Judge Samuel Sewall Repents

43. Families Are Compensated

44. Changes in the Legal System • Causes of Conscience, Increase Mather: “were better that ten suspected witches should escape than one innocent person should be condemned” become the first tract of evidence • Spectral evidence excluded • Some Miscellany Observations, Samuel Willard: devil could create specter of an innocent • May 1693 pardons all 28 remaining accused persons and 3 convicted are released

45. Legacy of the Trials • Politics: Joseph McCarthy (R-WI) 1950s hunt for Communists in the gov’t, film, colleges • Literature and Film • Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter (author a descendant of judge) • Miller’s The Crucible (play turned movies parodies McCarthy) • Salem, MA is a tourist destination and conducts tours of sites—graveyard, Gallows Hill, homes of accused