What Caused the Salem Witch Crisis of 1692?

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Salem Witch Trials Lesson Plan

Centrai Historical Question: What caused the Salem Witch Crisis of 1692?

Materials: e Copies of Salem Summary Information • Copies of Salem Evidence A, B, C, 0 •. Copies of Salem Graphic Organizer

Plan of Instruction:

1. Introduction: Ask students what they know about the Salem Witch trials. Put student answers on board.

2. Hand out Salem Summary information and have a student read it out loud.

Whole class discussion:

• Why do you think the people of Salem believed the girls' accusations of witchcraft? e Even if the people of Salem truly believed in witchcraft, why would there be so many accusations all at once, all of a sudden?

3. TRANSITION: We're going to look at some pieces of evidence that might help us answer the question: What caused the Salem witch crisis of 1692?

4. Hand out Salem Evidence A, B, C, 0, and Graphic Organizer. Have students complete ONLY THE TOP CHART FOR EVIDENCE A & B in pairs.

5. Debrief:

e What type of document is Evidence A? e What type of document is Evidence B?

f) Based on these two documents, why did the people of Salem believe the girls' testimony?

6. Introduce Evidence C & 0: Explain that these two pieces of evidence tell us a little more about the HISTORICAL CONTEXT-in other words, what was happening in Salem at this time. Have students complete the graphic organizer in pairs.

7. Debrief:

f) Discuss Evidence C & 0:

Salem Witch Trials STANfORD HSTOP,r EfX.OTIDl\i GROOP READING LIKE A HISr:RIAN

o What else was happening in 1692? o Why might economic concerns have contributed to the witch crisis?

e How does the information in Documents C & D change your view of what caused the Salem witchcraft crisis?

Gl Ask students to share their paragraphs.

Citations:

Testimony of Abigail Hobbs, April 19, 1692, in Verbatim Transcripts ofthe Legal Documents of the Salem Witchcraft Outbreak of 1692, ed. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum. http://testetext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www- salemname?specfile=/texts/english/salem/public/salem.o2w&act=text&offset=3207915&t extreg=div3&query=hobabi

Cotton Mather, "Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions," from A Discourse on Witchcraft, (Boston, 1689), pp. 4-9. http://books.google.com/books?pg=RA2-PA2&lpg=RA2- PA2&dq=mather+%22discourse+on+witchcraft%22&sig=rwWdjDW94kUMgnTViV3JCV GZbjo&ei=dGV4SrDGHYWotgPOy9DwBA&ct=result&id=719hAAAAMAAJ&ots=4kzbg3H NPb&output=text

Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum. Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1974.

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Salem Witch Crisis: Summary

The Salem witchcraft crisis began during the winter of 1691- 1692, in Salem Village, Massachusetts, when Betty Parris, the nine- year-old daughter of the village's minister, Samuel Parris, and his niece, Abigail Williams, fell strangely ill. The girls complained of pinching, prickling sensations, knifelike pains, and the feeling of being choked. In the weeks that followed, three more girls showed similar symptoms. Reverend Parris and several doctors began to suspect that witchcraft was responsible for the girls' behavior. They pressed the girls to name the witches who were tormenting them. The girls named three women, who were then arrested. The third accused was Parris's Indian slave, Tituba. Under examination, Tituba confessed to being a witch, and testified that four women and a man were causing the girls' illness. The girls continued to accuse people of witchcraft, including some respectable church members. The new accused witches joined Tituba and the other two women in jail. The accused faced a difficult situation. If they confessed to witchcraft, they could escape death but would have to provide details of their crimes and the names of other participants. On the other hand, it was very difficult to prove one's innocence. The Puritans believed that witches knew magic and could send spirits to torture people. However, the visions of torture could only be seen by the victims.· The afflicted girls and women were often kept in the courtroom as evidence while the accused were examined. If they screamed and claimed that the accused witch was torturing them, the judge would have to believe their visions, even if the accused witch was not doing anything visible to the girls. Between June and October, twenty people were convicted of witchcraft and killed and more than a hundred suspected witches remained in jail.

Salem Witch Trials Salem Evidence A: "Discourse on Witchcraft" (ORIGINAL)

In the speech be/ow, Cotten Mather, an influential leader of the Puritans, argues for the existence of witchcraft (1688).

It should next be proved THA T Witchcraft is.

The being of such a thing is denied by many that place a great part of their small wit in deriding the stories that are told of it. Their chief argument is that they never saw any witches, therefore there are none. Just as if you or I should say, we never met with any robbers on the road, therefore there never was any padding there ....

[T]here are especially two demonstrations that evince the being of that infernal mysterious thing. First. We have the testimony of scripture for it. Secondly. We have the testimony of experience for it. ... Many witches have ... confessed and shown their deeds. We see those things done that it is impossible any disease or any deceit should procure.

Source: Cotton Mather, "Memorable Providences relating to Witch crafts and Possessions," from A Discourse on Witchcraft, (Boston, 1689), pp. 4-9. Cotton Mather was one of the most influential religious leaders in America at the time.

Salem Witch Trials Salem Evidence 8: Testimony of Abigail Hobbs (ORIGINAL)

Below is the testimony of a teenager accused of witchcraft, Abigail Hobbs, on Apri/19, 1692.

The Examination of Abigail Hobbs, at Salem Village, 19 April, 1692, by John Hawthorn and Jonath. Corwin, Esqs., and Assistants.

[Judge:] Abig. Hobbs, you are brought before Authority to answer to sundry acts of witchcraft, committed by you against and upon the bodies of many, of which several persons now accuse you. What say you? Are you guilty, or not? Speak the truth.

[Abigail Hobbs:] I will speak the truth. I have seen sights and been scared. I have been very wicked. I hope I shall be better, if God will help me.

[Judge:] What sights did you see?

[Abigail Hobbs:] I have seen dogs and many creatures.

[Judge:] What dogs do you mean, ordinary dogs?

[Abigail Hobbs:] I mean the Devil.

[Judge:] How often, many times?

[Abigail Hobbs:] But once.

[Judge:] What would he have you do?

[Abigail Hobbs:] Why, he would have me be a witch.

[Judge:] Would he have you make a covenant with him?

[Abigail Hobbs:] Yes.

Salem Witch Trials r

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I Salem Evidence A: "Discourse on Witchcraft" (Modified)

In the speech below, Cotten Mather, an influential leader of the Puritans, argues for the existence of witchcraft:

I will prove that Witchcraft exists. Those who deny it exists argue that they never saw any witches, therefore there are none. That would be as if you or I said: We never met any robbers, therefore there are none.

I have two pieces of evidence that witchcraft exists: First, the Scripture mentions witchcraft. Secondly, many people have experienced the horrors of witchcraft.

Source: Cotton Mather, "Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions," from A Discourse on Witchcraft, (Boston, 1689), pp. 4-9. Cotton Mather was one of the most influential religious leaders in America at the time.

Salem Evidence B: Testimony of Abigail Hobbs (Modified)

Below is the testimony of a teenager accused of witchcraft, Abigail Hobbs, on April 19, 1692.

Judge: Abigail Hobbs, you are brought before Authority to answer to various acts of witchcraft. What say you? Are you guilty, or not? Speak the truth.

Abigail Hobbs: I will speak the truth. I have seen sights and been scared. I have been very wicked. I hope I shall be better, if God will help me.

Judge: What sights did you see?

Abigail Hobbs: I have seen the Devil.

Judge: How often, many times?

Abigail Hobbs: But once.

Judge: What would he have you do?

Abigail Hobbs: Why, he would have me be a witch.

Judge: Would he have you make a covenant with him?

Abigail Hobbs: Yes.

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I Salem Evidence C: Chart of Family Farms

Average Size of Family Farms in Salem Village, 1640~1700

Average Size of Family Farms in Salem Village, 1640-1700 (in acres)

300,································.········.····....····...... •...... •

250 1692: Salem 200 III Witchcraft t 150 Trials c(

0- ____"__,__.__._J 1640 1650 1660 1670 1680 1690 1700 Year

I Salem Evidence 0: Map of Salem Village

The map below depicts Salem Vii/age (on the left/west) and Salem Town (on the righUeast). Most people in Salem Village were farmers, whereas most people in Salem Town were merchants and townspeople. The residents of Salem Vii/age had to pay taxes to Salem Town. The map shows that most of the people who made accusations were from Salem Vii/age.

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