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Home , Bridget Bishop, John Hathorne, Samuel Parris, Sarah Osborne

LAURA HAMILTON WAXMAN THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Laura Hamilton Waxman d Lerner Publications Company • Minneapolis Who What Why Where When How A Word about Language English word usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation have changed over the centuries. Some spellings in this book have been Who What Why Where Whenchanged from the originalHow for better understanding.Who What Why Where When How Who What Why Where When How Who What Why Where When How Who What Why Where When HowWho What Why Where When How Copyright © 2012 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of Who What Why Where Whenbrief quotations in an acknowledged review. HowWho What Why Where When How Lerner Publications Company A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. WhoWebsite address: www.lernerbooks.com What Why Where When How

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Waxman, Laura Hamilton. Who were the accused witches of ? : and other questions about the Who What Why Wherewitchcraft trials / by Laura Hamilton Waxman. When How p. cm. — (Six questions of American history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–7613–5225–9 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) 1. Trials ()——Salem—History—17th century. 2. Witchcraft—Massachusetts—Salem—History—17th century. 3. Salem Who What (Mass.)—History—ColonialWhy period, ca. 1600–1775. 4.Where Witchcraft—History. When How I. Title. KFM2478.8.W5W39 2012 133.4’3097445—dc23 2011022553

Manufactured in the United States of America Who What Why Where When1 – DP – 12/31/11 HowWho What Why Where When How Who What Why Where When How Who Who What Why Where When HowWhat tents Where Who What WhyTable of WhereCon When How 4

...... Why INTRODUCTION 6 Who What Why Where WhoWhenone . What . . . How ...... WhyWhen Where When How Trouble .bRewing . 12 two ...... Salem .bewitched 18 How threeWho What Why Where When How Who What Why Where When How ...... Questioning .The .aCCUSed 24 Who Four ...... 32 ON .Trial . . . . . What Who What Why Where When HowWho FIVWhatE WhyShed Where When How InnoceNT .blOOD .be . SO .ThaT .NO .mORe . 38Where SIX ...... Who WhatAf teRWhy .The .Trials WhereWhy When How Primary Source: ’s Declaration against Mary Easty 42 Tell Your Salem Witchcraft Trials Story 43 When Who What Why WhereTimeline 44 When How Source Notes 46 How Bibliography 46 The six questions Further Reading and Websites 47 help you Who Who What Why Where When HowWhoIndex 48 Whatdiscover Why the Where When How facts! What Who What Why Where When How Where Why Who What Why WhereWhen When How Who What Why Where When HowHow BRITISHBRITISH TION THE COLONIESTHE COLONIES INTRODUC NORTHNORTH AMERICA AMERICA OF NEWOF NEWENGLAND ENGLAND CURRENT CURRENT INTERNATIONALINTERNATIONAL IN ABOUTIN ABOUT 1692 1692 Deep in the winter of January 1692, something terrifying BORDER BORDER MAINEMAINE began happening in Massachusetts. Two girls from a community COLONIAL COLONIALBORDER BORDER (part of(part of MassachusettsMassachusetts PROVINCE PROVINCEOF OF ) ) known as Salem Village came down with a strange illness. They MASSACHUSETTSMASSACHUSETTS BAY (FORMEDBAY 1691) (FORMED 1691) E E went into fits that made their bodies shake and twist into odd C C CITY OR TOWNCITY OR TOWN N N positions. Sometimes they crawled on the floor and hid under A A NEW NEW R R HAMPSHIREHAMPSHIRE tables. They complained of being pinched, bitten, and choked. F F Salem VSillagealem Village At other times, they couldn’t speak at all. W W NEW NEW Salem TSownalem Town E E YORK YORK Their family was desperate to cure them. They brought in BostonBoston N N MASSACHUSETTSMASSACHUSETTS doctor after doctor. They prayed for the girls to get well. PlymouthPlymouth CONNECTICUTCONNECTICUT Nothing worked. The girls only seemed to grow sicker. More than a month later, a local doctor RHODERHODE ISLAND ISLAND NEW JERSEYNEW JERSEY gave his opinion. The girls were not sick, he said. He believed they had a much worse PENNSYLVANIAPENNSYLVANIA ATLANTICATLANTIC OCEANOCEAN problem. A witch, he said, was tormenting them with invisible and evil powers. The witch might be anyone, including a friend, a neighbor, or a household member. This idea struck terror in the hearts of the villagers. That terror led to a

deadly event—the The Salem Witch Museum in (questionings in a court of law)—that Salem, Massachusetts would secure Salem’s place in U.S. history.

4 BRITISHBRITISH TION THE COLONIESTHE COLONIES INTRODUC NORTHNORTH AMERICA AMERICA OF NEWOF NEWENGLAND ENGLAND CURRENT CURRENT INTERNATIONALINTERNATIONAL IN ABOUTIN ABOUT 1692 1692 Deep in the winter of January 1692, something terrifying BORDER BORDER MAINEMAINE began happening in Massachusetts. Two girls from a community COLONIAL COLONIALBORDER BORDER (part of(part of MassachusettsMassachusetts PROVINCE PROVINCEOF OF ) ) known as Salem Village came down with a strange illness. They MASSACHUSETTSMASSACHUSETTS BAY (FORMEDBAY 1691) (FORMED 1691) E E went into fits that made their bodies shake and twist into odd C C CITY OR TOWNCITY OR TOWN N N positions. Sometimes they crawled on the floor and hid under A A NEW NEW R R HAMPSHIREHAMPSHIRE tables. They complained of being pinched, bitten, and choked. F F Salem VSillagealem Village At other times, they couldn’t speak at all. W W NEW NEW Salem TSownalem Town E E YORK YORK Their family was desperate to cure them. They brought in BostonBoston N N MASSACHUSETTSMASSACHUSETTS doctor after doctor. They prayed for the girls to get well. PlymouthPlymouth CONNECTICUTCONNECTICUT Nothing worked. The girls only seemed to grow sicker. More than a month later, a local doctor RHODERHODE ISLAND ISLAND NEW JERSEYNEW JERSEY gave his opinion. The girls were not sick, he said. He believed they had a much worse PENNSYLVANIAPENNSYLVANIA ATLANTICATLANTIC OCEANOCEAN problem. A witch, he said, was tormenting them with invisible and evil powers. The witch might be anyone, including a friend, a neighbor, or a household member. This idea struck terror in the hearts of the villagers. That terror led to a A woman named as a witch argues her deadly event—the Salem Witch Trials case in front of a (questionings in a court of law)—that judge. The person would secure Salem’s place in U.S. who named her, a young girl, lies on the history. floor. This image was created in 1754.

5 Who A group of Puritan churchgoers walks through the snow in the What in the 1620s. Where Why When How Who What Where

Why one Trouble Brewing a faraway territory Salem Village was located in the Massachusetts Whensettled by people from a nation who Bay Colony. This British territory eventually became Howagree to live under the modern state of Massachusetts. Like all British that nation’s rule colonists, the people of Massachusetts lived under Who British rule. But they enjoyed greater religious freedom than people back in England. What Many colonists living in Massachusetts a large religious group in England that wanted Where were . Puritans wanted to make to make changes to changes to the Church of England. The the country’s official religion. Puritans settled Why Church of England was the nation’s official the Massachusetts Bay religion, and British people were expected When Colony in the 1600s. How 6 to follow it strictly. Puritans disagreed with many of the church’s beliefs and practices. Because of their outspokenness, Puritans were often mistreated. Thousands of them fled to New England in the 1600s. Puritans believed good Christians should give up fancy clothing and grand homes. They should work hard and pray often. They should avoid having much free time. That way they wouldn’t SALEM VILLAGE Salem Village was later be tempted to stray from their strict renamed Danvers. Salem beliefs and values. Town became modern-day Salem, Massachusetts, In Massachusetts they set up tight- not far from Danvers. knit Puritan communities. Salem Town was one of the oldest of these communities. The thriving seaport had become a bustling city. In the

old site of Bay Colony, only was bigger. Salem Village Middleton95 Smaller farming communities lay WenhamWenham beyond Salem Town. The closest Danvers was Salem Village. It had about 114 Beverly 107 128 200 adults and perhaps 550 Salem old site of Salem Town people in all. The village was MASSACHUSETTS officially part of Salem Town. It had the reputation of being a quarrelsome community. The villagers always seemed to be arguing about one thing or another.

7 This map shows the boundaries of Salem Village, Massachusetts, in 1692. Salem Town is located on the coast by the South River (lower right).

One of the biggest disagreements involved the community’s future. Some villagers wanted Salem Village to separate from Salem Town. That way it could have its own town government and make its own choices. But other villagers disagreed. They thought the village was better off the way it was, and they fought against any changes. This disagreement caused a lot of anger in the community. At times it seemed to turn the villagers against one another. Another problem involved the village’s minister. The minister held great importance in the community. But the villagers could never agree on who had the power to choose the minister. As a result, some villagers were always unhappy with the decision.

8 In 1689 a new How Did Arguments Grow minister got drawn into between the Villagers? this ongoing argument. Like other communities, Salem had its His name was Samuel share of disagreements. One villager might Parris. Instead of accuse another of stealing his cow. Or working for peace in two neighbors might disagree over the boundaries of their property. But because the community, Parris it was officially part of Salem Town, Salem seemed to make Village did not have a local government matters worse. In to settle those disagreements. As a result, arguments between villagers often dragged his church sermons, on and on. Over time enemies formed and or speeches, Parris tensions grew. This encouraged people to spoke often of the later turn against one another during the Salem Witch Trials. devil. Like many Christians, Puritans believed that the devil was God’s greatest enemy. The devil’s goal was to turn people away from the Puritan way of life.

This 1685 painting of was pasted inside a locket.

9 Who Timeline What 1689 Native American fighters attack a town in New Hampshire in June, starting what became known as King William’s War. Where Samuel Parris becomes Salem Village’s new minister in November. 1692 Why and come down with a strange illness in January. A doctor eventually concludes they are bewitched. When On February 25, Parris’s slaves, and John, agree to make a witch cake. The next day, Betty and Abigail claim that Tituba is a witch who has been tormenting them. Two How other girls accuse and of being witches. Who and arrive on March 1 to question Tituba, Sarah Good, and What Sarah Osborne. Tituba confesses to being a witch. Where In the spring, more girls claim they are bewitched. They accuse others of being witches. Some adults also Why make accusations. Sir creates a court in Salem Town to handle the witch When trials. William Stoughton is the court’s chief judge. is the first accused person to stand trial on June 2. The How jury finds her guilty. Bishop is hanged eight days later. Twelve ministers of the colony write a letter protesting the way Bishop’s trial was handled. Who On June 29, five more accused witches stand trial. They include Sarah Good and . The jury finds all the women guilty except What Nurse. But the jurors change their decision about Nurse after Stoughton asks them to reconsider it. On July 19, 1692, all five are hanged. Twenty-one people are put on trial for witchcraft in August and Where September. All are found guilty. Thirteen are hanged. In October, speaks out against the witch trials. Why Governor Phips shuts down the court in Salem Town. When How 44 Who

1693 What Governor Phips opens a new court in January with stricter rules about running fair trials. In these trials, only three out of fifty-two people are Where found guilty. No one is put to death. Governor Phips ends the witch trials by freeing more than one hundred accused persons still in jail in May. Why 1697 On January 14, the colony sets aside a day to remember the tragedy When of the Salem Witch Trials. Judge makes a public apology. The jury also signs a written apology. How Samuel Parris leaves Salem Village that fall. Who 1706 Ann Putnam publicly apologizes What for her part in the Salem Witch Trials. 1711 Where The colony of Massachusetts declares most of the people Why hanged innocent, and it begins to pay money to their families. 1752 When Salem Village officially separates from Salem Town. How Five years later, it becomes the town of Danvers. 1957 Who The State of Massachusetts officially apologizes for the Salem Witch Trials. What 1972 The Salem Witch Museum opens in Salem, Massachusetts. Where Why When 45 How Source Notes 20 Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege (New York: Cooper Square Press, 2002), 26. 29 Frances Hill, A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2002), 156. 34 Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, Salem Possessed (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1974), 8. 36 Boyer and Nissenbaum, Salem Possessed, 10. 37 Ibid. 39 Hill, A Delusion of Satan, 207. 39 Ibid. 40 Roach, Salem Witch Trials, 569. 40 Ibid. 41–42 Ibid. 42 “Ann Putnam, Jr. v. Mary Easty,” in The Salem Witchcraft Papers, Volume 1: Verbatim Transcripts of the Legal Documents of the Salem Witchcraft Outbreak of 1692, eds. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum (New York: Da Capo Press, 1977), available online at http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=BoySal1. sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/oldsalem&tag=public&par t=254&division=div2 (December 2009).

Bibliography Boyer, Paul, and Stephen Nissenbaum. Salem Possessed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1974. ———, eds. The Salem Witchcraft Papers, Volumes 1–3: Verbatim Transcripts of the Legal Documents of the Salem Witchcraft Outbreak of 1692. New York: Da Capo Press, 1977. Available online at http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/ texts/transcripts.html (August 24, 2011). Delbanco, Andrew. The Puritan Ordeal. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989. Francis, Richard. Judge Sewell’s Apology: The Salem Witch Trials and the Forming of an American Conscience. New York: Fourth Estate, 2005. Hill, Frances. A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2002. Hoffer, Peter. The Devil’s Disciples: Makers of the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996. Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England. New York: Norton, 1987.

46 LaPlante, Eve. Salem Witch Judge: The Life and Repentance of Samuel Sewall. New York: HarperOne, 2007. Norton, Mary Beth. In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2002. Ziff, Larzer. Puritanism in America: A New Culture in a New World. New York: Viking Press, 1973.

Further Reading and Websites Kerns, Ann. Wizards and Witches. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2010. Explore the creepy tales and mystical stories of these magical beings that have fascinated people since ancient times. Knudsen, Shannon. Alice Ray and the Salem Witch Trials. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2011. In this story, a friend of Ann Putnam struggles with what to do when people she feels are innocent have been accused of witchcraft. The book includes a reader’s theater play. Miller, William. Tituba. San Diego: Gulliver Books, 2000. This biography uncovers the life of the first woman accused during the Salem Witch Trials. Puritans—History for Kids http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/religion/puritans.htm Visit this Web page to learn more about the Puritans and their history. Salem Witch Museum http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/ This official website includes information about the events of 1692. The Salem Witch Trials—National Geographic Kids http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/History/Salem-witch-trials This Web page offers information and photos about Salem during the time of the witch trials. Yolen, Jane, and Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple. The Salem Witch Trials: An Unsolved Mystery from History. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. The authors help readers to think like detectives to understand why the fear of witches Expand learning beyond the took over the village of Salem. printed book. Download free crossword puzzles, timelines, and additional website links for this book from our website, www.lerneresource.com.

47 Index Bishop, Bridget, 26–28, 44 Parris, Elizabeth (Betty), 12, 14–15, 19, 44 confessing, 20, 21, 33 Parris, Samuel, 9–10, 12, 14, 21, 39, 44–45 devil, 9–11, 12, 14, 20, 29, 40 petition, 29, 34 Phips, Sir William, 25, 28, 36–37, Easty, Mary, 34, 42 44–45 Puritans, 6–7, 9, 11, 12–13, 22–23, 29 Good, Sarah, 16–17, 19–20, 24, 44 Putnam, Ann, 16–17, 19, 39–40, 42, 45 Hathorne, John, 18–20, 21, 44 Hubbard, Elizabeth (Betty), 16, 19, 42 Salem Village, 4, 6–9, 11, 41, 44–45 Sewall, Samuel, 38–39, 45 jail, 20–22, 24, 26, 28, 33, 37, 45 Stoughton, William, 25, 28, 30, 31, 44

King William’s War, 10, 22, 44 Tituba, 14–17, 20–21, 44

Mather, Increase, 36–37, 45 Williams, Abigail, 12, 14–15, 19, 42, 44 Native Americans, 10–11, 44 Witches Hill, 27 Nurse, Rebecca, 29, 30, 31, 34, 44

Osborne, Sarah, 16–17, 20, 44

Photo Acknowledgments The images in this book are used with the permission of: © iStockphoto.com/DNY59, p. 1; © Keng Po Leung/Dreamstime.com, p. 1 (background) and all rope backgrounds; © iStockphoto.com/sx70, pp. 3 (top), 9 (top), 14, 15 (top), 21 (left), 22, 26, 28 (top), 36 (top), 41; © iStockphoto.com/Ayse Nazli Deliormanli, pp. 3 (bottom), 43 (left); © iStockphoto.com/Serdar Yagci, pp. 4–5 (background), 43 (background); © Bill Hauser and Laura Westlund/Independent Picture Service, pp. 4-5 (map); © iStockphoto.com/Andrey Pustovoy, pp. 4, 29, 34; © Erin Paul Donovan/SuperStock, p. 4 (inset); © North Wind Picture Archives, pp. 5, 6, 19, 21 (right), 23 (top); © iStockphoto.com/Talshiar, p. 7; © Laura Westlund/Independent Picture Service, pp. 7 (inset), 25; © Wikimedia Foundation , Inc., p. 8; © Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, MA, USA/The Bridgeman Art Library, pp. 9 (bottom), 36 (bottom), 39, 45; The Granger Collection, New York, pp. 10, 13, 15 (bottom), 16, 17 (top), 18, 33, 44; Cornell University Library, Making of America Digital Collection, p. 12; © Baldwin H. Ward & Kathryn C. Ward/CORBIS, p. 24; © George Eastman House/Archive Photos/Getty Images, p. 27; Courtesy of the Maine State Museum, p. 28 (bottom left); © Old Paper Studios/Alamy, p. 28 (bottom right); Courtesy of the Massachusetts Historical Society, p. 29 (inset); © Everett Collection/SuperStock, pp. 30, 31 (top); © Bettmann/CORBIS, p. 32; Essex County Archives, Salem, Massachusetts, Photograph courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum, p. 34 (inset); © Nancy Carter/North Wind Picture Archives, p. 35; © Maurice Savage/Alamy, p. 38; © Lee Snider/Photo Images/CORBIS, p. 40; © Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images, p. 43 (right). Front cover: © Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images. Back cover: © Keng Po Leung/Dreamstime.com (background). Main body text set in Sassoon Sans Regular 13.5/20. Typeface provided by Monotype Typography.

48 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK In June 1692, a jury in Salem, Massachusetts, found Bridget Bishop guilty of performing witchcraft. The only evidence against her was villagers’ testimony. As punishment she was publicly hanged. Meanwhile, local girls had been behaving oddly for months. They cried out of being pinched or choked by a witch’s spirit. The girls accused neighbors, outcasts, and respected community members of tormenting them. As fear spread through Salem, jails filled with the accused. In the end, nineteen people were hanged for witchcraft in one of the darkest moments in U.S. history. ? But WHAT led to this terrifying event

WHO was likely to be accused? ? WHY did the witchcraft fever finally come to an end

Discover the facts about the Salem Witchcraft Trials and the mark they left on the U.S. justice system.

OF AMERICAN

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