1. The Crucible

3. The Author: Arthur Miller

4. The Historical Background
Puritanism
Salem Witch Trials

5. Puritanism
Believed in a strong connection between church and state (theocracy)
Believed in a Covenant with God and with each other to follow moral codes in pursuit of eternal life
Believed in Predestination (only the elect would be saved)
Believed God and Satan were active presences in the natural word

6. What do these beliefs tell us?
Puritanism …
Believed Native Americans were heathens and the woods and forests full of demons
Believed in mandatory attendance at church
Believed that people were expected to work hard and repress emotions and opinions
The church dictated that dark, somber dress was appropriate
Never get caught sleeping in church or stealing food
What do these beliefs tell us?

7. Puritanism …
Read natural signs to see God’s will or Satan’s tricks (when a neighbor’s crop failed or a child became sick, saw it as God’s will and did not help)
Believed Satan selected the “weakest”—women, children and the insane to carry out his work.
Believed those who followed Satan were considered witches
Punished witchcraft by death
What does this tell us?

8. Witch Trials in Europe As early as 1450, witch hunts all over Europe
Many thousands were hanged, drowned or burned at the stake
Women were viewed as “imperfect” as they were formed from a man’s rib whereas men were the privileged sex (Christ--a male)
Popular view of women was source of witch hunt hysteria…seen as inherently evil and sexual—thus targets for the devil

9. Salem Witch Trials
Possibly the single, most studied event in colonial American history
Fear of magic and witchcraft was common in New England, as it had been in Europe
Over 100 alleged witches had
been tried and hanged in New
England during the 1600s
In early 1692, the witch hunt
hysteria began in Salem

10. Salem Witch Trials …
From early spring to September 1692, over 150 “witches” were taken into custody
19 men and women refused to confess and were hanged on Gallows Hill
One man was pressed to death under stones
Four died in jail

14. Key Points Author: Arthur Miller Puritans and the Salem Witch Trials
Believed those who followed Satan were considered witches
Punished witchcraft by death
Over 100 alleged witches had been tried and hanged in New England during the 1600s

15. Key Points
From early spring to September 1692, over 150 “witches” were taken into custody
19 men and women refused to confess and were hanged on Gallows Hill
One man was pressed to death under stones
Four died in jail