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History- Witchcraft > Salem Witch Hunt > Flashcards

Salem Witch Hunt Flashcards

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1
Q

When did the Salem Witch Hunt take place?

A

1692-1693

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2
Q

How many people were accused and killed?

A

200 accused

20 killed

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3
Q

What is unusual about the aftermath of the hunt?

A

The accusers apologies in the years after for causing the deaths of innocent people

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4
Q

When did England begin to colonise?

A

Early 1600s, same time as witch hunting was flourishing

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5
Q

Which were the first two English colonies in N. America?

A

Virginia (1607): mainly Catholic refugees escaping persecution in England

Massachusetts Bay (1620): mainly Puritans who were mindful of the Devil and witches

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6
Q

What was life for colonists living in New England like?

A

The communities were small and isolated
no awareness of the world around them

New England had a population of around 100,000
Salem = 1400 people

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7
Q

How did colonial puritanism compare to English puritanism?

A

They were more militant in colonies like Massachusetts, and refused to tolerate other religious denominations

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8
Q

How were people in Salem ruled?

A

Theocracy

Every aspect of life followed strict religious principles and the clergy were highly respected

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9
Q

Was there a history of witch trials in the colonies?

A

Yes
1647, Alice Young was executed in Connecticut
27 were hung before the Salem trials
Many more subject to fines, whipping and exile

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10
Q

What was the Glorious Revolution?

A

1688, King James II was peacefully removed from the throne by William and Mary
King James II had been a strict Catholic, and parliament were worried about the changes

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11
Q

What happened in Salem after the Revolution?

A

People revolted against Governor Andros (appointed by James) as they resented him
Rebels led by Increase and Cotton Mather
Andros was captured and sent to England to face trial

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12
Q

How did King William react to the rebellion?

A

He was fearful that it would fall into religious rule and so enforced rules
1691 Massachusetts was given a new charter which enforced to follow English law and religious toleration

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13
Q

What impact did the new charter have on the people of Salem?

A

People of Salem felt their way of life was under threat from outside forces. There was a lack of legal authority due to less representation from local Puritan leaders.
When things went wrong, they saw the Devil at work.

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14
Q

What was the history of of colonial and Indian relations?

A

There had been Indian attacks from the early days of European settlement
1675-1678: First Indian War destroyed towns across Massachusetts (1/10 military age men killed)

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15
Q

What happened after the overthrow of Andros?

A

Salem’s defences were weakened
Attacks were common and colonists were regularly killed
Outsiders who survived attacks moved into the community
King William’s War – the Second Indian War (1688-1697)

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16
Q

What was the Puritan perception of Indians?

A

Indians were Devil-worshippers
Indian attacks fostered a deep-seated paranoia concerning God’s willingness to allow the Devil’s agents (Indians) to punish Puritan settlers

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17
Q

What impact did the First Indian War have on New England?

A

It destroyed half of New England’s towns

Including Springfield which was significant trading and agriculture center due to its fertile soil and location on two trade routes

The economy didn’t recover for another 100 years

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18
Q

How did society change as a result after the war?

A

There was population growth of 3% and new towns were established
People adapted and it meant settler’s livelihoods were not entirely destroyed

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19
Q

How did government actions affect the economy of Massachusetts?

A

Colonists asked for military assistance, this led to a tax increase in the 1680s

The Navigation Acts (1651, 1660, 1662, 1673)
Placed limitations on trading ships to prevent Dutch monopoly on trade
It reduced the amount of money and resources coming into Massachusetts

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20
Q

How was Salem run?

A

As a theocracy
A system of government where God is held as supreme ruler and the clergy are involved in the day-to-day running of the state

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21
Q

How was the Scientific Revolution received by the Puritans?

A

It was largely ignored

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22
Q

How did they interpret crop failures, illness and hallucinations?

A

The work of the Devil

Women were inferior to men - Eve was tempted by the Devil

23
Q

What were relations between Salem Town and Village like?

A

There were high levels of tension
The town relied on the village for agriculture
If the harvest was poor, it led to accusations
Some in the village wanted their own church and to be fully separate from the town

24
Q

What was the environment of Salem Village like?

A

It had a population of 600 people, with lots of internal disputes (property, grazing and Church privileges)
Family rivalry, Putnams v Porters

25
Q

What were the differences between the Putnam and Porter families?

A

Putnams:
- Wanted to sever the Village from the Town
- Engaged in subsistence farming
- Heavily involved in accusations during the trials
Porters:
- Wanted to keep closer ties to the town
- More entrepreneurial and commercial in outlook

26
Q

Who was Cotton Mather?

A

A New England Puritan minister and pamphleteer

He went on to be involved in promoting the use of inoculation and ??????

27
Q

What did Cotton Mather publish in 1689?

A

Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions, it contained:

An extensive account of the Goodwin Possessions which influenced Salem

A sermon that warned about the presence of witches and gave advice on how to detect them

28
Q

What was the significance of Mather on the hunt in 1692?

A

His publication was definitely an influence and guide- the similarities between the cases are clear

BUT… Mather wasn’t directly involved in the hunt, his diary was written after the event and he wrote himself into it

29
Q

Who was Samuel Parris?

A

He was the Puritan minister of Salem
He had been a plantation owner and studied at Harvard University
When he moved to Salem he was seen as an outsider

30
Q

What was Samuel Paris relationship with his community like?

A

Tense, he had the support of the Putnam family
The town refuse to pay his wages as he purchases ‘luxury’ items like gold candlesticks
He delivered a sermon explaining that Devil was being assisted by wicked men just before the hunt

He became worried when the pro-Porter side became more powerful

31
Q

What are historian’s perceptions of Parris?

A

Self centred and deceptive

His role and motivation for instigating the hunt has never been understood

32
Q

What happened in the winter of 1691?

A 
Elizabeth Parris (9yo), Abigail Williams (cousin, 11yo) began experimenting with fortune telling 
They share this with other girls, and claim the supernatural events begin after a coffin is seen
33
Q

What happens in January 1692?

A

Elizabeth begins to lose concentration and scream loudly during certain prayers. She has fits and her limbs become affected
Abigail Williams displays the same symptoms, the doctor declares witchcraft as the source

34
Q

What do historians think caused the fits?

A

Psychological disorders, hallucinations from ergotism, naivety, boredom, trauma from the Indian attacks

35
Q

Who was Tituba?

A

She worked as a servant (possibly slave) for the Parris family
she came from Barbados and that she told stories of voodoo and demonic possession

36
Q

What is Tituba asked to do?

A

Make a witch cake for a dog to eat and sniff out any witches

It doesn’t work and Samuel Parris becomes suspicious

37
Q

What happens after Tituba’s cake fails?

A

Tituba confesses to a pact with the Devil and other witches

Most victims were women, 20% were men with connections to the accused women

38
Q

What was the first stage of the trial?

A

Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne were called to a meeting after being arrested
The girls were asked to give evidence and they claimed they had been forced to sign the Devil’s book and suckle familiars

39
Q

What are the trials defined by?

A

The use of spectral evidence
evidence from a witness testimony that they saw the accused person’s spirit or spectral shape in a dream at the time the witch was elsewhere

40
Q

How many were accused or faced charges?

A

Many confessed and over 50 were freed

165 people were accused in total, and 30 faced serious charges

41
Q

What did Governor William Phips establish?

A

The Court of Oyer and Terminer
Half hearted attempts at finding the Devil’s marks were carried out, one judge resigned because he doubted the legitimacy of the trials

42
Q

Who was Increase Mather?

A

The father of Cotton Mather

A puritan minister, president of Harvard and author

43
Q

What did increase Mather produce in 1692?

A

A sceptical work Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits and Prosecuting Men
He doesn’t reject the notion of witchcraft and argues that a lot of evidence is dubious (critical of spectral evidence)

He also begins giving sermons on the same topic

44
Q

What impact did Increase Mather have on ending the hunts?

A

Godly Puritans began to heed his warnings and the number of accusations declined

45
Q

What did Phips do in 1693?

A

He issues a General Pardon and excuses 8 people whom William Stoughton had condemned to die
Stoughton was the chief justice of the courts, appointed by Phips
He was ordered to discount spectral evidence

46
Q

What was the impact of the General Pardon?

A

There was a sudden rush to find people innocent and charges were dismissed and prisoners found not guilty
3 pardoned by Phips

47
Q

How does Phips try to protect himself from blame?

A

He was critical of Stoughton, and expressed this in a letter to King William (1693)

He claimed he faced pressure from religious figures in Boston

48
Q

What evidence is there that Phips was important?

A

29th October 1692: the Court of Oyer and Terminer was dissolved

25th November 1692: It was replaced by the Superior Court of Judicature
This did not allow ‘spectral evidence’ which had previously been used

He was influenced by Mather and believed the court was making mistakes
He banned books which had an influence on the nature of accusations and proceedings at the trial

The status of those accused increase from Tituba (a servant) to Philp’s own wife being accused
He had a personal and social motive in bringing them to an end

49
Q

What Evidence is there that Phips wasn’t important

A

Many people stopped hunting for witches due to the extent of the trials, and the impact on their friends and family

Doubts grew over the quality of evidence given in court, especially ‘spectral evidence’
It was considered not ‘practical’ enough

Increase Mather was more significant through his sermons demanding caution in making accusations

There were external pressures due to the size of the hunt as it was very unusual for witch hunting generally in New England

Public confidence in the legality and legitimacy of the trials declined as the numbers of those accused increased

50
Q

End of the Hunts:

What happened in 1695?

A

London repealed a law passed by the Massachusetts legislature in 1692 that enabled swift prosecutions for witchcraft.

51
Q

End of the Hunts:

What happened in 1697?

A

Samuel Sewell (judge) officially apologised to Massachusetts officials and asked for forgiveness

52
Q

End of the Hunts:

What did the girls start to do?

A

Many of the girls slowly began to apologise as they grew older.

53
Q

End of the Hunts:

What happened in 1711?

A

compensation was paid to families of the victims

History- Witchcraft (30 decks)

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