Decoding the Salem Witch trials, Part 1 | US History Scene
The witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1692 represent the most famous Puritan moment in American history; it is the one thing most people think of when they think of the New England Puritans. Usually, it is seen as a shocking and indisputable indictment of the Puritans’ intolerance and ignorance, and even sexism. To get at the truth of what happened in Salem and to understand why it happened, we have to get a little background on Puritan ideas about witchcraft. Then we’ll set the scene for events in Salem, taking into account the political and religious strife occurring in that venerable town in the late 1600s. Remember, Salem is actually an anomaly in the history of the New England Puritans. It generated remarkably little comment in New England at the time. Puritans and Witches In most scholarly and popular accounts, Puritans believed in witches, witchcraft, the devil, and the active presence of a spirit world in their daily life. Why Salem?
The Salem Witch Trials, 1692
The Salem Witch Trials, 1692 The seeds of the hysteria that afflicted Salem Village, Massachusetts were sown in January 1692 when a group of young girls began to display bizarre behavior. The tight-knit community was at a loss to explain the convulsive seizures, blasphemous screaming, and trance-like states that afflicted the youngsters. In February the village began praying and fasting in order to rid itself of the devil's influence. In March the afflicted girls accused Martha Corey. Friday March 11, 1692 was a day of fasting and prayer in Salem. "On, Monday, the 21st. of March, the magistrates of Salem appointed to come to examination of Goodwife Corey. The number of the afflicted persons were about that time ten, viz. four married women: Mrs. It was observed several times that if she did but bite her underlip in time of examination, the persons afflicted were bitten on their arms and wrists and produced the marks before the magistrates, ministers, and others.
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Salem Witch Craft Trials
The following is taken in part from: The "Cory Family Newsletter", Volume 7, number 3, Sep 1992, "The History of Salem", Volume III, pages 286-293, "The Witchcraft Episode", pages 36-57, "Salem In The Seventeenth Century", Chapter XXV, "The Witches at Salem, 1692", by Dick Eastman on the Compuserve Genealogy Forum "Witches and Wizards", by Robert Ellis Cahill former Essex County (Mass.) Sheriff and Keeper of the Salem Jail. "The Salem Witchcraft Papers: Verbatim Transcripts of the Legal Documents of the Salem Witchcraft Outbreak of 169", Vols. I-III, transcribed in 1938 by Works Progress Administration under supervision of Archie N. Frost, Ed. by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, Da Capo Press, NY, 1977. The opprobrious epithet of witch-city which has tenaciously clung to Salem since 1692 is due to the fact that the witch trials and executions took place in that town. Parris' difficulties began at once. This group, know as the afflicted children, included: In late February Mr. . . .
Salem Witch Trials of 1692: Facts, History & Causes
While the term 'witch-hunt' has become part of our common vocabulary, it has roots in the hysteria that befell Salem Village, Massachusetts, at the close of the seventeenth century. Develop an understanding of the Salem witch trials and test your knowledge with a short quiz. A Puritan Background Puritans, or religious exiles from the Church of England who moved to the colonies with a hope of returning to England to 'purify' the Church, settled most of the Massachusetts colony. By the end of the seventeenth century, New England towns maintained much of the Puritan vision, while at the same time growing rapidly and developing a shopkeeper middle class. The Devil in New England The strains of moving from a Puritan utopia to a royal colony further played out in the witchcraft hysteria that hit the coastal town of Salem Village (now the town of Danvers, MA) in 1692. Still, the outbreak and fervor in Salem was distinctive in its scope and intensity. Witch Hunts Explanations
Anne Bradstreet
Teacher Guide - George Washington: A National Treasure
This Teacher Resource Guide is designed for incorporation into history and social studies curricula. It will introduce your students to some of the events and issues that shaped George Washington’s life. The activities should enhance your students’ knowledge of Washington and expand their horizons about this complex and interesting man. Each activity includes suggested objectives, procedures, related standards in historical thinking, worksheets, and other supplemental materials. The FREE education kit, which included the 19 1/4" x 31" full-color museum quality poster reproduction of the “Lansdowne” portrait is no longer available.
Salem Massachusetts - What about Witches The Witch Trials
Examination of a Witch, by T.H. Matteson 1853. Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum The events which led to the Witch Trials actually occurred in what is now the town of Danvers, then a parish of Salem Town, known as Salem Village. The Witch House The Witch House In February, 1692, three accused women were examined by Magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. By the time the hysteria had spent itself, 24 people had died. It is remarkable 552 original documents pertaining to the witchcraft trials have been preserved and are still stored by the Peabody Essex Museum. Eerie memorabilia associated with the trials, such as the "Witch Pins" used in the examination of witches and a small bottle supposed to contain the finger bones of the victim George Jacobs can be found in the Clerk's Office in the Essec Superior Court House, Salem. * These short paragraphs are intended only as an introduction to a complex subject about which much has been written
mental_floss Blog » The Quick 10: 10 Ways to Identify a Witch
Today is a rather painful day in American history - the day the first three accused women were brought before the court in the Salem Witch Trials. As we know today, some of the measures taken to "prove" a person's guilt or innocence were absolutely ludicrous. But in case you'd like to employ some of them for yourself, here are 10 ways to identify a witch according to those running the Salem Witch Trials. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
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