Salem Witch Trials Salem, Massachusetts 1692

Why Salem Still Haunts Us Fascination with Witches A Stain on American History How Could an Entire Community Engage in Such Horrific Acts? 140 people accused of practicing witchcraft Twenty accused witches executed.

Salem—the Village History 1630: John Winthrop is elected the first governor. “A Model of Christian Charity” “City of a Hill” 1641: English law makes witchcraft a capital crime. November, 1689: Samuel Parris is named the new minister of Salem, and Salem Village Church is formed.

In Times of Hardship Can we watch each other without judging each other? In times of hardship, in tight knit communities, people began to look for people to blame for their problems. People believed that witches had a secret pact with the devil Hardships Blamed on Witches: Failed crops The death of livestock People becoming ill Sudden accidental death

Puritan Life Notice the environment (cold, inhospitable, scary woods), the formation (men front and back, women and children in middle), men are carrying guns, possible names for the painting, which is Pilgrims Going To Church by George Henry Boughton, 1867. Similarly, the Puritans were surrounded by the possibility of death at a moments notice -- would it be difficult to believe that the devil was out to make you suffer? Society centered around the church. The younger generation did not share the same strict religious views.

Strange Behavior In January of 1692, a group of girls in Salem Village, MA began to exhibit strange behavior blasphemous screaming convulsive seizures trance-like states mysterious spells. Physicians concluded that only the influence of Satan could be responsible for the girls’ afflictions. Pressured to identify the source of their affliction, the girls named three women as witches. Tituba is a foreigner, given to storytelling, confessed, perhaps because of fear for her life and the enjoyment of being the center of attention, Sarah Good was homeless, a social misfit who would mumble incoherently when someone failed to be charitable, and the death of livestock was attributed to her curses, Sarah Osborne was an elderly woman who hadn’t been to church in year and may have been considered rather crotchety. As the trials progressed, the accused become more “upright” citizens, including the village’s former minister and the governor's wife.

Causes for the Girls’ Actions Witchcraft Jealousy Repression Hysteria Guilt Boredom Witchcraft was really believed in, Miller presents Abigail Williams as John Proctor’s lover (in reality she was 11 or 12 and he was over 60 so unlikely), bickering among the villagers regarding land rights and economic concerns, young girls as most controlled and limited social group, unspeakable desires seen as sinful, excitability, Linda R. Caporael article in Science Vol. 192 (2 April 1976) claimed that ergot in the rye bread would explain the girls’ behavior and the close proximity of those afflicted, although this hypothesis has been successfully challenged

Map of Salem Can any deductions be made from this map? Divide between the village (traditionalists, agrarian, resisted the independece of the town, supported Parris, many Putnams) and the town (merchants, bar keeps, economically-minded, moving towards independence, did not like the expense or rhetoric of Parris, many Porters)

Characteristics of “Witch” Trials Pressure of Social Forces Stigmatization of the Accused Climate of Fear Resemblance to a Fair Trial Simulated Evidence/Expert Testimony (1) pressure of social forces: think climate, Indians, disease, personal insecurities, (2) stigmatization of the accused: outsiders are demonized, considered ethically unequal, once accused statements must be self-serving, evasive, dishonest or otherwise unworthy of belief, (3) climate of fear: fear of the outsider, fear of being accused (4) resemblance to a fair trial: certain elements of procedural due process are maintained but those who carry them out bend them to favor the whim and fancy of the moment, (5) simulated evidence: in the absence of material evidence, ‘spectral evidence’ is used, (6) simulated expert testimony: A common participant is the ‘expert witness,’ who claims special knowledge of the crime, (7) nonfalsifiability characteristic of evidence: No matter what the evidence, the tribunal may not recognize even the possibility that the evidence against the accused might be erroneous, (8) reversal of polarity: shifting of the burden of proof from the accuser to the accused - guilty until proven innocent, (9) non-openness: The tribunal is not open to the possibility that the accused could be blameless for the ‘crime’, (10) use of the loaded question technique: A loaded question is a question that entails a presupposition to which the accused has not committed, i.e. “Why do you torment these girls?”

Why the hysteria ended Doubts grow when respected citizens are convicted and executed. Accusations of witchcraft include the powerful and well-connected. The educated elite of Boston pressure Gov. to exclude spectral evidence

What Would You Do? Flee Salem Accuse someone else. Confess, even though you are innocent. Plead innocent and stand for trial. Refuse to stand trial and face the consequences.