Salem Witch Trials

of 1692Hysteria is born

. . .

Pilgrims

Pilgrim a traveler – one who has come from afar – to a religious or holy land

Known as the Separatists

Mayflower, 1620, Plymouth Rock

Desire their own religious land – want to recreate God’s land on earth

Pilgrims separate from Church of England and form their own church; religious dissenters also known as Separatists

Believed that church and worship could take place without all of the traditions and trappings of the traditional Church of England

Puritans

A pilgrim by definition though not THE Pilgrims

Critical of the Church of England wanted to reform church

from within; purify the church Intended to create a model

community guided in all aspects by the Bible

Puritans did not accept other faiths: Anglican (more progressive group), Quakers etc. By law, anyone living in

Massachusetts Bay Colony HAD to attend Puritan church

Government in Massachusetts

The Puritans operated under a theocracy: a state under immediate guidance from God. They believed that secular governors were

accountable to God to protect and reward virtue, and to punish wrongdoers.

They argued that the only head of the Church in heaven or on Earth was Christ.

The Salem witch trials could ONLY have occurred under a theocracy.

Puritan Beliefs

Belief, to an extent, in personal Biblical interpretation

Moral purity: the ultimate goal

Sought individual and corporate conformity in teaching the Bible

Belief that man existed for the glory of God; primary concern in life should be to do God’s will in order to receive future happiness (salvation)

Predestination – God has already determined who will achieve salvation and who will not Not known to mere man, so all must act to hopefully achieve

salvation

Strong belief in demonic forces; exorcisms were prominent and taken seriously

Puritan Ideals Culture stressed self-examination and a strict accounting for

one’s feelings and deeds. One may inflict physical harm upon oneself as a form of punishment for one’s sins. Eg. Reverend Dimsdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Men and women had different roles in society, based upon Biblical teachings Women – Eve’s corruption extended to all women –

women were marginalized in the church’s structure because they were viewed as untrustworthy and weak. Women not permitted to speak in church, but could engage

in religious-based discussions outside of church

Full church membership dictated that members must lead Godly lives and demonstrate a clear understanding of the foundations of their Christian faith, but must also demonstrate that they had personally experienced true evidence of the working of God’s grace on their souls.

Individuals that did not live according to the Biblical principles could find themselves excommunicated (suspended or deprived from membership) from the church

The Puritan Way Family structure was Biblically based

Husband over wife Parents over children Masters over servants

The Puritans who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony were some of the most radical of the Puritans

strict views on sexual morality disapproved of recreation wished to spread views and ideals to others

Disapproved of Christmas celebrations – not celebrated in the Boston region until the 19th century

Puritan Literature Dominated by religion:

theological studies, hymns, histories, biographies, autobiographies

Purpose was to provide spiritual insight and instruction

Regarded fiction and drama as sinful

Used poetry as a vehicle of spiritual enlightenment – a religiously-based purpose

Believed in a plain style of writing that had a clear message

Heavy hitters: Edward Taylor, Increase Mather, Cotton Mather (Father and Son ministers who wrote many letters and books concerning the Salem trials)

Cotton Mather

Anne Bradstreet

Dear Diary…

Puritans wrote diaries in which they would often find spiritual meaning in what might be considered simple coincidences. 

Examples:The poor health of a human's  body may be compared to bits of broken glass.A snake found under a person’s porch may be seen as the presence of evil.  This could be a warning from God or a visit from the devil.A woman accidentally burning a shirt may represent the fact that God was preparing her for the future death of her husband.

The ‘Puritan Plain Style’ Reflected style of their lives – spare, simple,

straightforward

Characterized by short words, direct statements, and references to ordinary, everyday objects All could understand, and thus reflect on their lives

and actions and relate to religion

Only expressed useful or religious ideas

Did not appeal to senses or emotions Personal emotions would detract attention and focus

being on living a frugal, straightforward, and pious life

What did it mean to be a Puritan child? In 1692, children were

expected to behave under the same strict code as the adults—doing chores, attending church services, and repressing individual differences.

Any show of emotion, such as excitement, fear, or anger, was discouraged, and disobedience was severely punished.

Children rarely played, as toys and games were scarce. Puritans saw these activities as sinful distractions.

Perhaps it is no surprise that it was a group of young girls who first made the accusations of witchcraft in Salem Village . . .

The Salem Witch Trials

February 1692 – May 1693 Salem was a Puritan town

Strong belief that the devil was alive and trying to “steal” souls from God

The ideas of “white” and “dark” magic became accepted and associated with demons and evil spirits Magic implies that a logical

explanation would not exist – that it was not needed to be believed or understood

Occurred in 3 different counties/towns Most notably in Salem (now

Danvers) 150+ were accused and tried 20 people, including a dog,

were executed

Myths and Misconceptions

People were accused of bring witches long before Salem existed.

Those that were targeted were usually misfits in society.

The “witches” of Salem were innocent people that were “made into suitable scapegoats.” Many people who testified against the accused later admitted they lied.

Let’s examine some of the myths and misconceptions . . . (Handout from Hunting for

Witches, by Frances Hill)

Salem of 1692

Reading of a play: Dramatic elementsDRAMA

4th Wall- imaginary wall at the front of the stage through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play.

STAGE DIRECTIONS The italicized text within parenthesis is equally as important as the dialogue between characters.

It will often reveal a character’s emotional state and is sometimes an indication to how the text should be read. Informational passages are also italicized for better understanding of the characters and the historical placement. Eg. Rev. Hale (narrowing his eyes) Tries to fly Eg. Rev. Parris (with trepidation – and resentment) I hope you do not mean we go to Satan

here! LANGUAGE Aye: pronounced “I” (said to express assent; yes)

i.e. John Proctor: “Aye, the farm is seeded. Goody: abbreviation for Goodwife, which is a polite form of address for a woman, formerly used

where "Mrs.", "Miss" and "Ms." would be used today. Its male counterpart is Goodman. i.e. Elizabeth Proctor= Goody Proctor

Yoda Speak: Subject of the sentence comes after the verb.i.e. Judge Danforth to John Proctor: What say you, mister?

PUNCTUATION The use of a hyphen at the end of a text indicates an interruption

Eg. Thomas Putnam: No witchcraft! Now look you, Mr. Parris— Rev. Parris: Thomas, Thomas, I pray you not leap to witchcraft.

Knowledge EnrichmentSpectral Evidence

Evidence that cannot be seen- not tangible (invisible)

Testimony by the afflicted girls that they saw witches’ specters doing harm to them or to others.

Specters- the spirit of a living person that is controlled by its owner and possesses physical powers. Specters may take the form of a creature, which is often referred to as a familiar. What are some examples you can think of?

In 1702, a bill was passed that no longer permitted the use of spectral evidence in any court case.

Hard Evidence

Evidence that IS tangible.

All that were accused and convicted, were found guilty based upon spectral evidence.

Before we begin . . .

The European world saw the New World as a barbaric frontier inhabited by a sect of religious fanatics. In fact, the New World inhabitants viewed the unsettled frontier as mysterious and threatening. WHY?

However, these “fanatics” provided Europe, those who criticized them, with valuable products.

Puritans did not tolerate celebrations that they deemed sinful or could lead to sinfulness, yet they were known for gathering in fellowship after “raising the barn.”

Though self-examination was a way of life, patrols were appointed to monitor behavior and church attendance. A record was kept, especially for those that did not adhere to the moral expectation. The fact that deeds did not go unnoticed is one of the factors

that fed the witchcraft frenzy.

Irony and Injustice The Puritans, though they had experienced persecution

in England, were now persecuting those that did not believe and practice their religion.

They believed that they had “the candle that lit the world.”

The outside sources became less of a threat than those within the Puritan community due to the lack of balance between order and freedom.

The witch hunt became an opportunity for individuals to publically express their guilt and sins under the guise of accusing others.

Long held hatred of neighbors could be expressed= VENGENCE.

AllegoryWhat is an allegory?

An allegory is a narrative in which literal meaning corresponds clearly and directly

to symbolic meaning.

Think about hysteria: people reacting fearfully in Salem.

The Salem Witch Trials and Communism

NO, the “witches” weren’t communists, but the mass hysteria that came from the Witch Trials corresponds directly to the mass hysteria that met the United States when it was thought that Communism was “infiltrating” the country during the 1950s.

CommunismAn ideology that seeks to

establish a future classless, stateless social organization, based upon common ownership of the means of production and the absence of private property.

In other words . . .

Communism: development of the productive forces (means of labor) that leads to a superabundance of material wealth, allowing for distribution based on need.

Hysteria in the 1950s

What do you think Americans thought of Communism?

Why might Americans be fearful of this type of government?

Communism and Russia The United States allied with Russia in WWII

Post World War II, the Soviet (Russia) was launching its atomic warfare project in the wake of the United States nuclear project. Questions began to arise: did the Soviets steal the science from US?

Assumed that only the USA could possibly be bright enough to develop such powerful technology

Russia was perceived as a threat

No one really understood what Communism was or what was going on in Russia mass hysteria as people start pointing fingers and blaming one another for “communist activity”

Senator Joseph McCarthy

Republican Senator wanting to make a name for himself and get reelected

Delivers the Wheeling speech, which throws him into the national spotlight Claims that he knows who the Communists are and vows to get rid of

them.

People go crazy pointing fingers and claiming that their neighbors, celebrities, and anyone who is a“threat” to the American way of life is a Communist Accused of being a communist

The ultimate insult Taken very seriously

Communism came to equal Russians believed that Russians ate their babies Willing to believe anything negative out of fear

and lack of understanding Us vs. Them mentality

Communism Ensues Though it was eventually discovered that McCarthy’s accusations

were untrue, the resulting hysteria is now known as one of the most repressive times in American history.

The HUAC (House Committee on UN- American Activities) summoned 2,375 men and women, which was enough to cost them their jobs. 400 Americans went to jail – not having a fair trial.

The Crucible Abigail Williams – watch her, her actions, and her

motivation Whose actions do they match up with when

examining the play as an allegory?

The people of Salem They will become like the people of the

US the McCarthyism era. How so?

In Pursuit of Communism Those called into question were supposed to

prove their loyalty to the U.S. by naming former Communists they had known. If they didn’t they could face a jail sentence and be “blacklisted”so they couldn’t get a job. How does this parallel to the events that

happened in Salem?

In all, 9,500 civil servants were dismissed and 15,000 resigned; 600 teachers lost their jobs and many fine actors and scriptwriters were unable to work again. Charlie Chaplin, the biggest Hollywood movie

star of the pre-war years (and also a Communist) left America in disgust.  

Miller and McCarthy The paranoid hunt for infiltrators was notoriously difficult on writers and

entertainers, many of whom were labeled communist sympathizers and were unable to continue working. Entertainers and those in the industry were seen as dangerous because they were

perceived as being liberal Had massive influence over the public (celebrities always in the spotlight)

Some had their passports taken away, while others were jailed for refusing to give the names of other communists. If they didn’t know names, they were still expected to give them – lead to a problem of

naming names for the sake of protecting oneself rather than being honorable

The trials, which were well publicized, could often destroy a career with a single unsubstantiated accusation. If a name was even mentioned, it was common that that person would never work again

In all, three hundred twenty artists were blacklisted, and for many of them this meant the end of exceptional and promising careers. This includes Arthur Miller, Leonard Berstein, and Charlie Chaplin.

Questions to Consider How are the events of the Salem Witch Trials

similar to those during McCarthyism?

In what other historical or social events have you seen the effects of hysteria?

Why would Miller have chosen to use the setting of 1692 Salem instead of 1950s Anytown?

How are the societal values of the 1950s and 1690s similar? Different? How do they compare to the values of today’s society?

How does culture influence people’s reactions to turmoil?