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William Stoughton

William Stoughton. Jonathan Berke Ms. DelGrego English 3 CP 11/7/11. Birth / Early Life. I was born on September 30 th , 1631 I was born in either England or Dorchester Massachusetts. My father Israel Stoughton was a wealthy and powerful political figure in Massachusetts.

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William Stoughton

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  1. William Stoughton Jonathan Berke Ms. DelGrego English 3 CP 11/7/11

  2. Birth / Early Life • I was born on September 30th , 1631 • I was born in either England or Dorchester Massachusetts. • My father Israel Stoughton was a wealthy and powerful political figure in Massachusetts. • My Mother Elizabeth Clarke was also an active member in political society.

  3. Family Life • My father ,Israel Stoughton, was one of the first people to settle Dorchester, Massachusetts. • My father was a prominent political figure and held a seat on the Governors Council • My father being the business man that he was constructed the first corn mill in New England. • My father Place high value on education and being a devout Puritan

  4. Childhood • My childhood was of the typical puritan childhood • I was either studying in school or reading the bible and praying • Because my family was quite wealthy they could afford to send me to good schools and I received a good education

  5. Education • I studied Divinity in Harvard College and graduated in 1650 • After this I attended Oxford and earned a Masters in Art • I was close friends with Increase Mathers and his son Cotton Mathers.

  6. Career • I was appointed to the office of Commissioner of the United Colonies from 1674 until 1676, and again from 1680 until 1686 • I served as Deputy President of Massachusetts Bay Colony under Joseph Dudley, my close friend and political ally. • In may of 1692 William Phips appointed me to the position of Chief Judge of the court of Oyer and Terminer • Once the whole Witchcraft ordeal was over I assisted in quietly accusing William Phips of misusing his political powers • Once Phips was removed I remained the Commander and chief of the colony of Massachusetts.

  7. Religious Practices • My father was a strict and devout puritan and as a child he made sure that I practiced reading the Bible and praying daily. • I was offered a position in the Ministry when I returned home form England from my studies because I assisted Increase Mather’s in his ministerial duties • I was even offered the position of ministering the Dorchester or Cambridge churches

  8. Involvement In the Salem Witch Trials • I was the head of the Court of Oyer and Terminer • This court was specifically designed to deal with the excess of accusations and reports of Witchcraft. • This special Tribunal court was the tool in which people were tried as witches and systematically sentenced to death or jail

  9. Involvement Cont. • I played a huge role in the witch craft proceedings because I was appointed to be the Chief Justice to hear cases of witchcraft. • If I were as concerned about getting an acquittal as I was about getting a conviction in each case the outcome of the Salem Witch Trials could have been quite different and so many innocent people could have been saved. • After much debate I allowed the controversial method of using spectral evidence as a method of getting a conviction

  10. Death • I died on July 7th 1701 in my home on the corner of Pleasant Street and Savin Hill • I died at the ripe old age of 70

  11. Works Cited Linder, Douglas. “William Stoughton” Famous American Trials: Salem Witch Trials 1692 . 04 Nov. 2011. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_BSTO.HTM Mott, Wesley. “William Stoughton Biography” William Stoughton from Dictionary of Literary Biography.2005. 04 Nov. 2011. http://www.bookrags.com/biography/william-stoughton-dlb/ Stevens, Peter. “Dorchester’s Hanging Judge,  Dorchester Reporter, September 27, 2001. 04 Nov. 2011. http://www.stoughtonhistory.com/williamstoughton.htm Zeveloff, Julie. “William Stoughton: Chief Justice of the Court of Oyer and Terminer” Salem Witch Trials Important Persons. 2006. 03 Nov. 2011. http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/saxon-salem/servlet/SaxonServlet?source=salem/texts/bios.xml&style=salem/xsl/dynaxml.xsl&chunk.id=b40&clear-stylesheet-cache=yes

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