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? Legal ramifications guilty until proven innocent…versus today.

In Times of Hardship In times of hardship, in tight knit communities, people began to look for people to blame for their problems. Hardships Blamed on Witches: Failed crops The death of livestock People becoming ill Sudden accidental death People believed that witches had a secret pact with the devil. Most often the people accused of being witches were widows and single women.

Puritan Life Very strict in terms of religion Harsh environment (weather, forests) 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?

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)

Giles Corey Refused to Confess

Giles Corey is Pressed

Potential Answers? Economic hardship gone awry Rye-rot theory Loss of religious conscience in Salem Hysteria