The Salem Witch Hunt Flashcards
When did accusations begin in Salem?
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How many were accused?
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How many were executed during the trials?
1692
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200 accused of witchcraft
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20 we’re executed
What % accused were women and how many were men?
80% we’re women
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5 we’re Men
How’d did the hunt come about?
It came about due to fear and isolation within the community which manifested in hysteria and panic over the threat of witches
What happened in Salem 1630?
It was a difficult time for England’s puritans, Charles I + the archbishop Pursue high church policies and punish radicals
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First settles arrive in Salem, including governor John Winthrop and 800 colonists
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10,000 Puritans migrate to Massachusetts from 1630-1642
What happened in Salem (1640-50)
The colony economic conditions improved due to successful trade in fur and lumber, as well as the growth of the fishing industry
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A merchant class begins to emerge
What happens in Salem 1660
Charles II becomes King
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Colony grows resistant to Charles II attempts to establish a Church of England there due to Puritanism being the dominant faith
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Taxes must be paid to the church, only church members + non-puritans could be banished
What happens in Salem 1680?
Attempts are made by Charles II in 1678 and 1681 to revoke the royal charter and consolidate all New England colonies into one to centralise control
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Met with fierce resistance by puritan authorities and Massachusetts colonies
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Charter not revoked until 1684
Who is Charles II replaced by?
James II, a catholic
What we’re the causes of the Salem girl’s behaviours?
Asthma attacks
Psychological hysteria
Possession neurosis
Who was tituba?
A slave in the Parris household who was asked to bake a “witch cake” by an aunt of one of the effected girls
Who filed a witchcraft charge against tituba?
Samuel parris, due to him become suspicious of tituba
Why was tituba asked to make a witch cake?
Tituba was most likely of mixed Caribbean/African heritage meaning she had knowledge of magical West Indian practices
Why was Tituba under suspicion?
She was an ethnic minority and had knowledge of spiritual practices
What did tituba do when she was questioned?
Confessed to the Devils pact
Named other witches
Later claimed she was beaten by Paris and forced to confess
19-25th Feb 1692 Betty, Abigail, and mercy accused who of afflicting them?
Tituba: A slave who was visually, socially, and legally an outsider
Sarah Good: A beggar already suspected of witchcraft
Sarah Osborne: An old woman who rarely attended church
What had the Salem girls become?
Witch finders
May 1692 they only had to name someone to secure and arrest. They knew false accusations were punishable by death
How did the Salem girls get their information?
Inadvertently from adults around them as to who was considered suspicious or who were social outcasts
Who was Increase Mather?
A we’ll respected Puritan, father of Cotton Mather, and president of Harvard University
What was “Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil spirits?
A pamphlet published on the 3rd Oct by Increase that criticised spectral evidence + it declared that evidence of witchcraft must be as clear as any other crime
Who was Cotton Mather?
+ what age did he graduate Harvard?
One of the most influential Puritan religious leaders
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15
What was Salem’s Economy based on?
farming, with people being charged with witchcraft there were less farmers to tend to their crops
What impact did the witch trials have on the community of Salem?
Hatred and resentment arose among the people who’d accused each other
Why did Samuel Parris fear for his family in 1697?
Wrote privately in his diary that god would punish his family for not stopping the trials
How did Salem deal with the accused relatives and those accused in 1697?
General court declared a day of fasting and Soul-searching
What year was all those accused pronounced innocent?
1957
What Happened in relation to the trials in 1702
Trials were declared unlawful
What Happened in relation to the trials in 1703
Another petition was put forward that requested a more equitable settlement, not much was done
What Happened in relation to the trials in 1709
22 People who’d been convicted or relatives of them demanded their land back
What Happened in relation to the trials in 1711
General Court passed a bill reversing judgement against the 22 people from 1709. 2 moths later they received £578.60 was authorised to be divided among the 22
How many people occupied Salem in 1692?
Salem had 600 residents and was known for many internal disputes about property, church privileges, etc
What we’re the 2 major settlements in Salem?
Salem Village and Salem Town, Salem village attempted to break away from Salem Town this was heavily resisted by Salem town
Who were the 2 most prosperous families in Salem
The Putnams and the Porters
What Did the Putnams want that the Porters didn’t
The Putnams wanted to sever the village from Salem Town to establish a a local government, however the porters favoured closer ties
