The response of authority to Witchcraft and its impact on Society Flashcards
How did the authority respond to accusations of witchcraft ?
The Day after the arrests of tituba + Sarah Osbourne - the girls gave evidence against the women :
Sarah Good accused Sarah Osbourne of afflicting the girls
Tituba admitted to being approached by the devil and confirmed that Good + Osbourne were witches
How did the authorities respond to the trials ?
Court of Oyer and Terminer set up and Governor Phips would hear them
Authorities keen to use spectral evidence yet it wasn’t allowed - Testimony of Malificarum needed 2 people of good characters accounts
What were the elements of a trial in Salem ?
Trials were quick
Judges were partisan
Defendants had to speak for themselves
Petitions by neighbours testifying good character were often ignored
Gossip accepted as evidence
Give some statistics relating to confessions ?
About 1/3 charged admitted guilt
only 6 of those confessed were put to trial - 1 executed
Name some of the people who were executed ?
Bridget Bishop followed by Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Good
Giles Corey was tortured and killed
By September 22 , 19 people had been hung and 1 tortured to death
What are some reasons for the decline of witch hunting in Salem ?
Opposition from Church leaders - Increase Mather and Boston Minister raised concerns . Mather critical of Spectral evidence .
Governor Phips : Saw the court of Oyer and Terminer had made the situation worse and disbanded it
The Superior court of Judicature was not allowed to use spectral evidence
