Salem witch-hunt and Cotton Mather, 1692-1693

Virginia - Jamestown 1607

Massachusetts - 1620 on the Mayflower

Virginia - Catholic refugees and high church traditions

Massachusetts - Puritan principles were followed when they established the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1629

Particularly mindful of the Devil’s presence and attempts to entice people to witchcraft

More militant and refused to tolerate people of other religious dominations, clergy highly respected, preachers spoke out against the use of magic and there was worry surrounding maleficium and diabolical pacts

Alice Young, 1647 in Connecticut

27

Subject to whipping, fines and exile

100 cases, often subject of resentment from neighbours

25%

200

20

Small, isolated community - led to heightened sense of fear, tensions between settlers and newcomers/wealthier and poorer residents fuelled the craze

10,000 between 1630-1642

April 1630, Gov John Winthrop brought 800 colonists with colonial charter (claimed it was a possession of the crown)

1630s were difficult time in England for Puritans, Charles 1 and AoC William Laud pursued high church policies and punished radicals in the Star Chamber (court of law at Westminster run by the PC)

The colony was dominated by Puritans and became resistant to Charles 2 (1660-1685)

Required to pay taxes to the Church, although they didn’t have to be a member

Given exclusive right to vote for local officials and non-Puritans could be banished for spreading dissent

Concerned about extending royal influence by centralising control due to the resistance of the colonies

Aimed to revoke the royal charter in 1678 and 1681 and consolidate New England control, not formally annulled until 1684 due to resistance from authorities

1686, administered through the Dominion of New England under Sir Edmund Andros

Unpopular, due to high church tendencies and unwillingness to include local Puritans to his council (already well established)

Aimed for CofE services to be delivered, Puritans suspected him of high church Anglicanism and having Catholic sympathies

Introduced import and export taxes, severe resentment but necessary as was a drain on the English Exchequer

Landownership titles were defunct and declared void, needed to pay fees to take back which was used to pay for fortifications against Indian attacks

Restricted number of town meetings held, due to being source of discontent

April 1687, James 2 issues Declaration of Indulgence which suspended existing penal law against Catholics, then dissolved parliament (increased opposition from govt)

May 1688, 7 bishops were acquitted, scared of prospect of a Catholic heir - sent invitation to William of Orange

December 1688, James fled country after his arrival

January 1689, declared joint ruling with Mary (his wife, daughter of James)

May 1689, passed Toleration Act which granted Protestants, not Catholics, religious freedom

James amassed a force in Ireland to take back throne in the Battle of the Boyne, William won

Mutinied in fear that they were being used in a popish plot (conspiracy to replace Protestant authorities with Catholics)

Increase and Cotton Mather, began with clandestine meetings of Puritans in Boston

Increase led negotiations over the charter in London, 1688-May 1692, brought back Sir William Phips and the hunt had already begun

18th April 1689, rebellious militia surrounded Andros’ residence at Fort Mary, had to act upon rumours of popish plot

Attempted to flee but was captured and taken into custody, faced trial in England, later became colonial governor of Virginia

October 1691, Massachusetts given new charter and known as Province of Massachusetts Bay

Voting eligibility was based of property ownership rather than denomination

Officials were to be appointed by the Crown, not elected

Governor could block any laws passed by the council

Removal of Andros (oppressive governor) resulted in few changes, less representation from Puritan leaders and lack of legal authority - saw the Devil at work

King Phillip’s War, the First Indian War - devastated towns across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine

1/10 military-aged men were killed and constant threat of attack

Colonial defence were weakened after Andros was overthrown so colonists were killed regularly

Young girls at the trials would’ve seen the affect of these attacks on their communities

King William’s War, the Second Indian War - part of the Nine Years War (1688-1697) between William of Orange and the French

They were Devil-worshippers and were the allies of the French/Spanish, deep seated paranoia

They were fighting against them in the Nine Years War and were predominantly Catholic followers, had increasing power over England/protestantism

½ New England’s towns were attacked and Springfield was burnt to the ground

Population growth was 3% per year and new towns were established

1680s, colonists requested military assistance from England which contributed to rise in tax burden under Andros

1651 (modified in 1660, 1662 and 1673), good imported to England and territories had to be carried on English ships, have ½ crew be English by nationality and had to travel through England first - aimed to prevent Dutch monopoly on freight trade

Represented national trading interest, over separate interests of private companies and fleets

Reduced resources and money to Massachusetts as it was directed towards England, unable to ship grain to England, fishermen had to pay higher fees to transport produce (illegal to use Dutch ships)

Governed as a theocracy with religion at the centre, clergy were involved in daily running

Scientific Revolution, saw natural disasters as work of the devil and anyone who didn’t conform was treated with suspicion

The Bible set the precedent for women to be easily tempted by the Devil, inferior to men due to Eve in the Garden of Eden

Salem Village - majority of accusers, largely agricultural, staunch Puritans, jealousy when harvests were bad, aimed to gain independence from the Town but they relied on agricultural produce

Salem Town - more contact from outside world, less reliant on agriculture and religious belief, established as merchants (private interests)

Prominent family in Salem Village, leaders of movement towards separation (opposed by the Porters)

Richest family in Salem, many business interests in the Town and wider NE, attempted to end the craze but allies found under suspicion

Cotton Mather (1663-1728), senior Puritan clergymen in Massachusetts - relayed real-life examples of contact with witches and bewitched

3rd generation colonist, father born in Massachusetts and Richard Mather (grandfather) migrated in 1630s

Mather graduated Harvard at age 15 and joined ranks of the clergy

400 books, widely preached and published a number of works on witchcraft

Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions

Extensive account of the Goodwin possessions, influence the possessions at Salem

Sermon delivered warning against the presence of witches and offered advice on how to detect them - acted as a guide to the conductors of Salem

John Goodwin, a mason from Boston, had 6 children and devoted to Puritanism

Martha (13yrs old) accused the laundress (daughter of Mary Glover) of theft of bed linen

Afflicted Martha Goodwin with fits after confronted

Only spoke Gaelic and was a Catholic

Dr Thomas Oakes concluded that it must be witchcraft, afflicted by pains in same parts of body despite being in different rooms

Made dolls out of rags and stuffed with goat hair, used form causing fits and was unable to recite the Lord’s Prayer

Interviewed by Mather in person (had to rely on interpreter), failed to convert to Puritanism.

16th November 1688, executed and the children’s fits were cured

The names of other witches who assisted her as he thought that she would be inclined to lie, evidence shouldn’t be used to charge another suspect - incriminate innocent people

Samuel Parris (1653-1720), Puritan minister of Salem

Acted as key witness in the trials and was involved in all initial accusations in his household - his daughter, her cousin and Tituba

Born in London, migrated to Boston and attended Harvard, then owned a plantation and moved to Salem to enter the ministry

Attempted to increase his salary and benefits (e.g. exclusive ownership of the minister’s house), found it hard to settle disputes, town refused to pay his wages due to purchasing ‘unnecessary items’ (golden candlesticks)

Delivered sermon about the church being under siege from the Devil, assisted by wicked men

Fortune telling

Wanted to find out social status of their future husbands using a ‘venus glass’, shared with other young girls in Salem - saw a coffin then the trials begun

January 1692, lost concentration, forgot prayers, barked like a dog, screamed and hurled a Bible, began having fits

Continued prayer, however her symptoms continued and Abigail Williams also began to exhibit strage behaviour

Decided witchcraft was to blame and recommended fasting and prayer, had little impact

Friends with Elizabeth and Abigail, name is mentioned over 400 times in court

March 1692, claimed possession and showed similar symptoms

1706, apologised for role and claimed the Devil deceived her

18yrs old, occasionally showed signs of possession, one of the first to suffer fits, knitted during the trial, her aunt Mary Sibley used counter-magic against Tituba

Father married Deliverance Putnam, brother in law to Thomas Putnam

19yrs old, accused 8 people

Parents were killed in an Indian attack and sent to live as a servant under Rev George Burroughs and became friends with Ann Jr. and Mary Walcott

17yrs old, worked as servant under Dr William Griggs (despite being family), testified against 29, 17 arrested

13 hanged and 2 died in jail

Have fits in the courtroom, fall into trances and scream in agony upon seeing the accused

Experiencing psychological disorders

Hallucinations, naivety and excitement

Response to own insecurities, e.g. Mercy Lewis experienced traumatic childhood and lived in poor economic circumstances - form of escapism

Traumatised by Indian attacks

Other views - bored of stifled upbringings, accuse out of spite, parents play important role in providing names

Samuel Parris, with her husband John Indian as household servants or slaves

Make a witch’s cake with the urine of afflicted children

Fed to the dog, supposed to sniff out any witches

Fits of the girls became worse, Parris suspected her as a witch and filed charges

Caribbean and African heritage, purchased in Barbados

Looked after the children and told stories of demonic possession and Voodoo, formed fantasies of young girls

Making a pact with the Devil, named other witches, signed the Devil’s book

She had flown through the air using a pole, claimed that familiars existed

Tituba was beaten by Parris and forced to confess

80%

Distrusted in society and were faced with a male headed court

Well-established widow, lived openly with an unmarried Irish indentured servant called Alexander Osborne and removed her children from her inheritance

40yrs old, social outcast, accused of hurting children, was destitute and homeless, husband and daughter testified against her however her trial was delayed due to pregnancy

Innkeeper and wore clothes that Puritans disapproved of, ran drinking and gambling establishement and was the 1st to be tried/executed

Only Puritan minister executed, involved in local conflicts and borrowed money from Putnams that he was unable to pay back

Woman of independent mind/unsubmissive, accused 2yrs earlier of causing a smallpox epidemic

Older and well-respected member of community, neighbours wrote petitions claiming she was innocent, initially found not guilty but jury reconsidered

19th July 1692, executed despite being given a general pardon from Gov Phipps

67yrs old, widow, accused by girls and 15 neighbours, in an ongoing court dispute over her father’s will - dies 1688 and left only a small portion to Susannah then her step-mother passed away and excluded her once again, appeals unsuccessful

Forced them to sign the Devil’s Book, suckle familiars and caused fits - spectral evidence claimed in the village meeting house

Respectable figures in the community were accused, Abigail Hobbs confessed to attending a meeting where witches plotted to bewitches all of Salem Village

Established a Court of Oyer and Terminer in May

165 accused, 50 confessed were freed, 39 faced serious charges

Resigned within a month due to suspicions about the legitimately of the proceedings

A prosecuting lawyer