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Salem possessed: the social origins of witchcraft
1000 words on the witch trials
Salem possessed: the social origins of witchcraft
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It is human nature to become superstitious and fearful upon witnessing something they cannot explain or when they make a seemingly flawless observation that links one thing to another. It is often for the human mind to attempt the path of least resistance and instead leap to a conclusion rather than to pursue a more complicated answer. Such uneducated thinking took lead and from it arouse the prospect of witchcraft. The simple idea that if your neighbor were acting peculiarly or children, particularly female children, were misbehaving in some way that they must be a witch allowed an easy scapegoat for the minds of continental Americans and became a widespread accusation. The acts of the “witches” often varied, though they were commonly blamed …show more content…
Men, such as Giles Corey, were accused of witchcraft by their greedy neighbors, neighbors who knew that if found guilty the men’s land would be put for sale by the court and that they could purchase it. Some few men, like Giles Corey, did not let this happen and refused to plead guilty nor innocent of the charges and thusly never being formally tried. Unfortunately, such a loophole was not exploited easily and the before mentioned mob, along with some law officials, would torture the accused until they confessed. In the case of Giles Corey, he was laid down and had heavy rocks placed upon him and continually asked “yay?” or “nay?” in regards to his involvement in witchcraft; knowing either answer would cost his family their land he simply responded “More weight” to each questioning. His eventual death, his last words being “More weight” defiant in the face of his accusers, left his land to his sons, whom were now safe from the greedy neighbors as further accusations would make oblivious the hidden intentions behind Corey’s accusations. Unlike Corey though, many men of New England and particularly Salem were accused and found guilty of witchcraft, costing them and their families their land and other possessions.
Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft is a concise, 231 page informational text by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum. Published in 1974, it explores the economic and social conditions present in the Salem village during the 1600s that led to the hysteria surrounding witchcraft. Multiple graphs and illustrations are present, as well as an average sized font, an abundance of footnotes typically on the left page, and a prominent voice from the authors. The book was written to serve as a more comprehensive informational piece on the Salem witch trials due to the authors finding other pieces written about the same topic to be inaccurate. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum wanted to create something that utilized
Numerous individuals may be quick to accuse others of wrong doings that are not necessarily the truth. In this matter, it is evident in the Salem Witch Trails, which happened in 1692, where individuals accused their own neighbors of witchcraft because of unforeseen death or sickness. Moreover, it led to 200 innocent human-beings that were accused of worshiping the devil’s work, which led to 19 helpless individuals who were hanged because of these untruthful allegations. Furthermore, the Salem Witch Trails were a historical event that is due to lack of knowledge, selfishness, and inhumanity.
Witchcraft has always fascinated many people and been a very controversial topic in North America during the seventeenth and 17th centuries. Many people believe that witchcraft implies the ability to injure or use supernatural power to harm others. People believed that a witch represented the dark side of female presence and were more likely to embrace witchcraft than men. There are still real witches among us in the Utah who believe that witchcraft is the oldest religion dealing with the occult. However, the popular conception of a witch has not changed at least since the seventeenth century; they still caused panic, fear and a variety of other emotions in people.
Throughout the late 17th century and into the early 18th century witchcraft prosecutions had been declining. This trend was the result of a multitude of social developments which altered the mentality of society. One of the predominant factors in this decline was the Scientific Revolution, the most important effect of these advances was making society question concepts of witchcraft. Along with this new mental outlook, we see that the Reformation had a similar effect on social opinion concerning witchcraft and magic. These two developments changed societies view on the occult and this led to a wider scepticism concerning witchcraft, this favoured those who had been accused and therefore caused a decline in prosecutions. Beyond the two trends mentioned however, it is important to consider judicial reforms and an improved socio-economic situation which reduced tensions within society. These two changes were certainly not as influential as the Scientific Revolution and the Reformation but heavily altered the circumstances in which accusations were normally made. With the altered social attitudes and mental outlook these changes in living situations all contributed to bring about the decline in witchcraft prosecutions.
Hysteria took over the town and caused them to believe that their neighbors were practicing witchcraft. If there was a wind storm and a fence was knocked down, people believed that their neighbors used witchcraft to do it. Everyone from ordinary people to the governor’s wife was accused of witchcraft. Even a pregnant woman and the most perfect puritan woman were accused. No one in the small town was safe.
Puritans believed in the devil and his role as strong as they believed in God and his role. For many centuries, Puritans had the idea that the weakest individuals in society often committed diabolical acts and sins. Furthermore, Satan selected the most vulnerable individuals to do his bidding, among these individuals, women were often held responsible for many sins, including witchcraft. (Godbeer 12). According to Richard Godbeer, in his book, The Salem Witch Hunt, “it was Eve who first gave away to Satan and seduced Adam.” (Godbeer 12). In 1692, witchcraft became a panic among Puritan society. Even though both men and women were accused of witchcraft, women were seventy-six percent more likely to be accused in Salem than men. (Godbeer 12). Puritan society was a male dominate society and men looked down upon women. There were two particular reasons to why women were often accused of being witches. The first reason, was in due to the Puritan belief that women were the source of evil. The second reason was because of certain events that associated with accusations. These events were being of relatively low social status and income, being rich or financially independent and being a midwife or nurse.
The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were the largest outbreak of witch hunting in colonial New England up to that time. Although it was the largest outbreak, it was not something that was new. Witch-hunting had been a part of colonial New England since the formation of the colonies. Between the years 1648 to 1663, approximately 15 witches were executed. During the winter of 1692 to February of 1693, approximately 150 citizens were accused of being witches and about 25 of those died, either by hanging or while in custody. There is no one clear-cut answer to explain why this plague of accusations happened but rather several that must be examined and tied together. First, at the same time the trials took place, King William's War was raging in present day Maine between the colonists and the Wabanaki Indians with the help of the French. Within this war, many brutal massacres took place on both sides, leaving orphaned children due to the war that had endured very traumatic experiences. Second, many of the witch accusations were based on spectral evidence, most of which were encounters of the accused appearing before the victim and "hurting" them. There were rampant "visions" among the colonies' citizens, which can only be explained as hallucinations due to psychological or medical conditions by virtue of disease, or poisoning.
In the early winter months of 1692, in colonial Massachusetts, two young girls began exhibiting strange symptoms that were described to be "beyond the power of Epileptic Fits or natural disease to effect (examiner.com)." Doctors looked them over, but could not come up with any sort of logical explanation for their ailments. Therefore, the girls were accused of taking part in witchcraft. Soon, other young women in the village started showing similar symptoms. This "illness" of sort slowly made its way through the village to many of the residents. Soon, people started coming up with possible theories as to what started all the madness.
In 1692, the occurrence of “witchcraft” began after the Massachusetts Bay Charter revolution and the outbreak of small pox. The rebellion caused hysteria and a sad injustice. Friends were pinned against friends; upstanding citizens were forced to flee for their lives and men and women were put to death (Jurist Legal News and Research Services 2008).The fear of the devil influenced the cruelty that took place. Most of the settlers that established their homes in the colony were puritans, a member of a group of English Protestants who revolted against the Church of England. The belief that God punished sinful behavior with misfortune did not help circumstances. The puritans targeted outcasts, people who never really fit it in; they wanted to rid the towns of these suspected sinners.
This shows that people in the town of Salem would immediately connect an event to witchcraft, and not even think of another reason, or whether or not the person it connected witchcraft to was actually framed. The more people that got blamed for witchcraft, the more people believed in it and accused others without question. In her article, Laura Staffaroni stated that “The
These skeptical interpretations of possession coexisted in New England society alongside the official Puritan view. Sometimes the possessed were not encouraged to name the witches responsible for their afflictions (not even by their own ministers); any names voluntarily offered by them were not taken seriously, and no one was formally accused. Other times, most notably during outbreaks, the possessed became important— if not the most important— sources of witch identifications. At all times, however, as we shall see, the possessed provided the most visible support for the clergy’s argument that the greatest danger of witchcraft lay in the power of witches to enlist others in the Devil’s
While Salem Village remained an agricultural community, Salem Town transformed into a mercantile town. These factions created strained relations and high levels of anxiety among the residents which led to accusations of witchcraft. Tensions exacerbated as Salem “experienced two different economic systems, two different ways of life, at unavoidably close range” (437). Within Salem Village, witchcraft accusations steadily increased as “the first twelve witches were either residents of the Village or persons who lived just beyond its borders” (435). However, witchcraft was not confined to a specific, geographic location as it spread beyond Salem Village and into other geographic boundaries. In fact, the majority of the people accused of witchcraft came from the surrounding villages. The outgrowth of conflicts and bitter disputes between the people of the rising mercantile class and the people of the land-based economy continuously led to witchcraft accusations. The accusations were not limited to farming communities, but also extended to political representatives and people higher up on the social ladder. For example, Boyer and Nissenbaum mention the accusation of Daniel Andrew and Phillip English who were two elected Salem Town selectman. As more
In 1593, George Gifford, a renowned Puritan preacher from Maldon, Essex, wrote that the “maine ground of witchcraft” was the “covenant that is between Satan and the witch”. This pact involved the witch binding themselves “vnto [the Devil] by solmne vowe…[promising] to renounce…God…[and]…giue [the Devil] either [their] body, or soul, or both” in return for the gift of supernatural abilities. This view of witchcraft reflected the foundation of all demonological witch-beliefs: Devil-worship. The covenant between the witch and Satan formed the basis of demonological theory, not only in early Stuart England but also across much of early modern Europe. As Richard Bernard, a puritan preacher, wrote in 1627, “In this act only standeth the very reality of a Witch.” Nevertheless, whilst the idea of the covenant was prevalent across Europe, it was only one of several demonic activities believed to be undertaken by the witch during the continental Sabbat (the traditional ritual of Devil worship), which included night-flying, copulation with demons, and cannibalistic
Giles Corey is an outspoken member of Salem Village, which can sometimes get himself and others into trouble. Giles, one could say, is infamous in the town for causing disputes and attempting to settle those disputes in court. In one instance, Giles is embedded in an argument with Thomas Putnam about land that he believes rightfully belongs to John Proctor. Putnam is informed that his grandfather had a history of willing away land that he did not own. While the argument does not involve him, Giles feels the need to interject when he supports Proctor’s claim by saying, “That’s God’s truth; he nearly willed away my north pasture” (32). The argument becomes so heated that Putnam threatens to clap a writ on Giles. This, of course, seems of little threat to Giles as he has been in court thir...
The newest generation in western society is being partially raised by films, literature, and music. Pop culture is taking a bigger and bigger role in the upbringing of today’s children. Images like Harry Potter flying on his broomstick during a game of quidditch, or the old lady from Brave creating potions. To the majority of Western Society, these situations are used for entertainment purposes, but many tribes and villages still believe in the power of witchcraft and see it as an enormous threat. Weather witchcraft is still prevalent for religious reasons, old school beliefs, or economic motives, the fact still remains that it is used to show order and give power to those who are willing to give up a life to take it. With modern advancements becoming more widespread, many are trying to hold on to the traditional values of their tribes, and in result, pushing the idea of witchcraft onto the new generation in a very aggressive way. The Badyaranke tribe of Senegal believes witchcraft is responsible for many hardships including, health issues, economic troubles, and loss of religion (Simmons, 1980:447). While the population of seventeenth century Malta looked to magic when medical knowledge because inadequate, yet when a negative situation arose, killing those who were thought to use witchcraft was the logical choice (Cassar, 1993:329). Both nations used witchcraft to hold on to old school religious ideas, a way to propel themselves in their economic status, and as a scapegoat. These nations showed how witchcraft was used as a source of power and a way to maintain order.