Salem Witch Salem Witch Trials Trials

AKA When AKA When the Puritans the Puritans

lost it!lost it!

A day in the life of children . . .

• Farm work for boys beginning at age 5

• Girls helped with spinning/sewing

• Punished for laughing on the Sabbath day

• Running, whistling, humming considered sinful any day

• Parents developed “Sunday toys”

Puritan Beliefs

• Wanted to PURIFY the Catholic Church

• Did not like selling of indulgences

• Disliked the massive ornamentation of the church and the priests

• Original sin

• Hellfire and brimstone sermons – Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Puritans Beliefs continued

• Predestination – John Calvin

• Work hard for success but DON’T enjoy it

• The Devil is real

• Dancing ok but not sexual dancing

• Drinking was ok but do not become a drunkard

• Adultery punishable by death

The Salem Witch Trials• The Salem Witch Trials began in what is now

known as Danvers, Massachusetts.

• The Salem Witch Trials lasted from June of 1692 to September of 1692.

• By the end of the trials 150 people had spent time in jail and 20 “innocent” people were killed.

The Salem Witch Trials

• The trials began with 11 year old Abigail Williams and 9 year old Elizabeth Parris.

• These girls acted in a manner that was strange to the Puritans of the time.

• Abigail Williams was Elizabeth’s cousin. Elizabeth Parris was the daughter of the town minister.

The Salem Witch Trials

• Abigail and Elizabeth were not allowed to have toys or play like most children of the time would, this was seen as idleness and sinful.

• Instead the girls were encouraged to concentrate on chores and studying bible verses.

The Salem Witch Trials

• At night Abigail and Elizabeth would spend their nights by the fire with Reverend Parris’s slave Tituba (from Barbados).

• Tituba entertained the girls with magic, fortune telling and story telling from her homeland.

• This was forbidden by Puritan law.

The Salem Witch Trials

• Abigail and Elizabeth began acting strangely: speaking in tongues and having wild convulsions.

• The village doctor was called in, he was sure the girls were victims of witch craft.

• One Sunday as the Reverend began his sermon the girls in town fell into a fit.

The Salem Witch Trials

• The town concerned for the girls asked who had cast a spell on them.

• Three women were named by the girls.

• Tituba, a slave-servant. Sarah Good, a homeless woman. Sarah Osborne a woman who had married her servant.

The Salem Witch Trials• When placed on trial both Sarah’s maintained

their innocence, Tituba however claimed there were other witches in Salem.

• This admission started the wave of hysteria that engulfed Salem.

• Behind this paranoia were Elizabeth and Abigail. The hysteria was being controlled by two young girls.

The Salem Witch Trials

• Many of those accused were prominent members of the Salem community.

• Many of these characters are seen in the play The Crucible.

Traits of a witch…

• Singing• Reading• Not conforming to Puritan law• Not getting along with your neighbor• Spending time alone• Writing

The Accusation Process

• The afflicted person makes a complaint to the Magistrate about a suspected witch.  The complaint is sometimes made through a third person.

The Accusation Process

• The Magistrate issues a warrant for the arrest of the accused person.

The Accusation Process

• The accused person is taken into custody and examined by two or more Magistrates.  If, after listening to testimony, the Magistrate believes that the accused person is probably guilty, the accused is sent to jail for possible re-examination and to await trial.

The Accusation Process

• The case is presented to the Grand Jury.  Depositions relating to the guilt or innocence of the accused are entered into evidence.

The Accusation Process

• If the accused is indicted by the Grand Jury, he or she is tried before the Court of Oyer and Terminer.  A jury, instructed by the Court, decides the defendant's guilt.

• The convicted defendant receives his or her sentence from the Court.  In each case at Salem, the convicted defendant was sentenced to be hanged on a specified date.

• The Sheriff and his deputies carry out the sentence of death on the specified date.

If you were accused would you…a. Flee Salem!

b. Refuse to stand trial and await the consequences

c. Accuse someone else

d. Get pregnant

e. Confess, even though you’re innocent

f. Plead innocence and await trial

THERE IS A THERE IS A WITCH WITCH

AMONGST US!AMONGST US! Could it be Could it be

you?you?

There is a witch amongst us…

• Do you know what a modern witch does, has anyone around you displayed the following characteristics?

• OR have you?

Traits of modernmodern witch…

• Listening to tiny people play music

• Watching people move in a magic box

• Wearing open toed shoes

Traits of modernmodern witch…

• Having vast amounts of information available instantly

• Standing on water

• Moving great distances in short periods of time

A modern witch also …

• Can’t sit still

• Likes to sing

• Makes animal noises

• Imitates other witches

So who were are the witches in this class room?