In the early 1600s, Puritans escaping oppression in England arrived on the shores of Massachusetts. The newcomers lived a difficult but simple life; religion and the teachings of the Bible were the central focus of every aspect of Puritan society. The Puritans, subscribing to John Calvin’s theology of predestination, believed that humans are sinners and only a select few are predestined for salvation. Additionally, they believed that the spiritual welfare of the community and each individual was important; any sin within the community needed to be radically purged. Emerging from this fanaticism was religious ferocity that pervaded Puritan society.
Despite the strong faith of the Puritan community, Puritans were still subject to sinful thoughts. Neighbors coveted each other’s farmland, family members clung to grudges from past generations, and passing judgement on family, friends and neighbors was pervasive. A dash of personal vendetta combined with anxiety and suspicion to create hysteria and chaos. During the year of 1692, Salem, Massachusetts experienced the result this hysteria.
In January 1692, the daughter and niece of the Salem town Reverend experienced ‘fits’ (i.e., screaming, muttering incoherent sentences, and throwing objects). Shortly after, another young girl, Ann Putnam, began to experience similar traits. When questioned by magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne, the girls attributed their ‘fits’ to three Salem residents: Tituba (a Caribbean slave), Sarah Good (a beggar) and Sarah Osborne (an elderly impoverished woman).
Tituba, Good and Osborne were brought to court for questioning; both Good and Osborne pleaded not guilty. However, Tituba confessed to crimes of witchcraft and condemning herself as well as the two others accused. Once the women had been arrested, months of similar accusations followed suit. The court proceedings continued to progress, particularly after Deputy Governor, Thomas Danforth, began to assist the interrogations in April.
In May 1692, Governor William Phipps ordered the expansion of the trials from Salem to the Suffolk, Essex and Middlesex counties of Massachusetts. Spectral evidence (the use of dreams and visions as testimony) was viewed as damnable proof, as a result, many innocent women were condemned to die. The first to be hung was a woman named Bridget Bishop, followed by five others within the next month. In total, 19 people were hung and over 200 people were accused of practicing magic.
In the years following, the Puritan community and, more importantly, the State of Massachusetts realized the error of their ways. What followed were attempts to rectify the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials. A series of ordinances were passed apologizing for the events that occurred in 1692. However, the Salem Witch Trials will live in infamy as a time period where the rights and names of people were unfairly and unapologetically taken. This historical event will forever act as a lesson for the societies of the present and the future.
Comments