Intro to History
7/11/2103
1) “Satan”-The people of Salem had a strong belief that Satan was active in the world. A book was published describing the suspected witchcraft of an Irish washerwoman in Boston called “Memorable Providences.” She had similar symptoms that were displayed by Betty Parris; the book was widely read and discussed among the people; that with the belief that people affected demonstrated specific symptoms had people believing the devil was close at hand.
2) Property Disputes-This may have been caused by old feuds between patrons of Salem. The majority of the accused came from well to do families and many of the accusers were not so well off. “In a number of cases, accusing families stood to gain property from the convictions of accused witches. Also, the accused and the accusers generally took opposite sides in a congregational schism that had split the Salem community before the outbreak of hysteria.” Many of the accused supported minister George Burroughs while many of the accusers had a large role in him leaving.
3) “Accusations”- “No execution caused more unease in Salem than that of the village's ex-minister, George Burroughs. Burroughs, who was living in Maine in 1692, was identified by several of his accusers as the ringleader of the witches.” Ann Putman made claims that Burroughs had bewitched soldiers during Wabanaki the first of many military disasters that could be blamed on the Indian-Devil alliance. “Among the thirty accusers of Burroughs was nineteen-year-old Mercy Lewis, a refugee of the frontier wars. Lewis, the most imaginative and forceful of the young accusers, offered unusually vivid testimony against Burroughs. Lewis told the court that Burroughs flew her to the top of a mountain and, pointing toward the surrounding land, promised her all the kingdoms if only she would sign in his book (a story very similar to that found in Matthew 4:8).”
4) “Troubled times in Salem”-A frontier war with Indians caused sudden worry of violent death that occupied the minds of the people. That accompanied with congregational strife and the threat of smallpox