1 / 8

The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials. Massachusetts Colony, 1692. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm. Puritan. -one who seeks to purify the church, as opposed to a “pilgrim” -settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony, seeking religious freedom -little is known of their daily lives

mason-carney
Download Presentation

The Salem Witch Trials

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Salem Witch Trials Massachusetts Colony, 1692 http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

  2. Puritan -one who seeks to purify the church, as opposed to a “pilgrim” -settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony, seeking religious freedom -little is known of their daily lives -they have earned a (perhaps) undeserved reputation for strictness and hard-heartedness -their lives were ordered by their doctrine -ran into sanctification issues http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

  3. Dissent -”to disagree” -disunity meant death, and so persistent dissent meant exile: Roger Williams, a Protestant minister and free-thinker, who went across the bay to establish Providence (later Rhode Island) in 1635. Anne Hutchinson, a “inner-light” preacher, was banished in 1638. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File: Roger_Williams_statue_by_Franklin_Simmons.jpg http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

  4. Theocracy -”rule by God” But who would be God’s mouthpiece? Cotton Mather, who warned of God’s judgment on the Colony should it stray from the truth? Increase Mather, his father, who believed that sexual sins were rampant and waiting to be judged by God? Samuel Parris, the new pastor whose daughter and niece listened intently to slave stories? http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

  5. The Event 1689 – Cotton Mather writes a tract about witchcraft and demon possession. 1692 – A group of girls had strange sensations and actions: tingling arms and legs, shaking, loud shouting, delusions and strange dreams. 1692 – A special court is convened to find the cause of the problems. Their finding? Cotton Mather was right! http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

  6. Some of the Witches: -Tituba, an Arawak slave who first confessed and cooperated. -Sarah Good, a homeless beggarly crone who claimed innocence until death (hanged). -Deliverance Hobbs, a broken old woman (prison). -Rebecca Nurse, a God-fearing widow who led an exemplary life (hanged). http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

  7. The final result? -19 people found guilty of witchcraft, and hanged. -Another refused to be tried, and was crushed by stones. -The Mathers repudiated first “spectral evidence” and then the entire process. -Later the judges and jury would apologize, and the survivors were granted a pension and absolution. -Theocracy died in Massachusetts http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

  8. -Demon possession? -Bad Theology? -Theocratic cleansing? -A cover-up of the pastor’s daughter? -Social repression? -Something else? So what really happened? http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

More Related