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 Salem? : 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 (Witchcraft)—Massachusetts—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 Who What Why WhereWhere When How TABLE OF CONTENTS Why Who What Why Where WhoWhenINTRODUCTION What . .How . Why . .When . 4 Where When How ONE TROUble .bRewINg . How6 WhoTWO What Why Where When How Who What Why Where When How Salem .bewITCheD . 12 THREE Who QUeSTIONINg .The .aCCUSeD . 18 Who What Why Where When HowWho WhatFOUR WhyWhat Where When How ON .TRIal . 24 FIVE Where SO .ThaT .NO .mORe .INNOCeNT .blOOD .be .SheD . 32 Who What WhySIX WhereWhy When How afTeR .The .TRIalS . 38 Primary Source: Ann Putnam’s Declaration against Mary Easty 42 When Who What Why WhereTell Your SalemWhen Witchcraft Trials Story 43 How Timeline 44 How Source Notes 46 Bibliography 46 Who Who What Why Where When HowWhoFurther ReadingWhat and Websites 47 THEWhy SIX Where When How Index 48 QUESTIONS What HELP YOU DISCOVER THE Who What Why Where When How FACTS! Where Why Who What Why WhereWhen When How Who What Why Where When HowHow THE COLONIESTHE COLONIES OF NEWOF NEWENGLAND ENGLAND TION BRITISHBRITISH IN ABOUTIN ABOUT 1692 1692 CURRENT CURRENT INTERNATIONALNORTHINTERNATIONALNORTH AMERICA AMERICA INTRODUC BORDER BORDER COLONIAL COLONIALBORDER BORDER Deep in the winter of January 1692, something terrifying PROVINCE PROVINCEOF OF MASSACHUSETTSMASSACHUSETTS BAY (FORMEDBAY 1691) (FORMED 1691) MAINEMAINE began happening in Massachusetts. Two girls from a community (part of(part of CITY OR TOWNCITY OR TOWN MassachusettsMassachusetts known as Salem Village came down with a strange illness. They ) ) Salem VSillagealem Village went into fits that made their bodies shake and twist into odd E E C C alem TSownalem Town N N S positions. Sometimes they crawled on the floor and hid under A A BostonBostonNEW NEW R R PlymouthHAMPSHIREPlymouthHAMPSHIRE tables. They complained of being pinched, bitten, and choked. F F At other times, they couldn’t speak at all. W W NEW NEW Their family was desperate to cure them. They brought in E E YORK YORK N N MASSACHUSETTSMASSACHUSETTS doctor after doctor. They prayed for the girls to get well. 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 problem. A witch, he said, was tormenting OCEANOCEAN 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 The Salem Witch Museum in deadly event—the Salem Witch Trials Salem, Massachusetts (questionings in a court of law)—that would secure Salem’s place in U.S. history. 4 THE COLONIES BRITISHBRITISH THE COLONIES NORTHNORTH AMERICA AMERICAOF NEWOF NEWENGLAND ENGLAND TION IN ABOUTIN ABOUT 1692 1692 CURRENT CURRENT INTERNATIONALINTERNATIONAL INTRODUC BORDER BORDER COLONIAL BORDER MAINEMAINE COLONIAL BORDER (part of(part of MassachusettsMassachusetts Deep in the winter of January 1692, something terrifying PROVINCE PROVINCEOF OF ) ) MASSACHUSETTSMASSACHUSETTS BAY (FORMED 1691) began happening in Massachusetts. Two girls from a community BAY (FORMED 1691) E E CITY OR TOWN C C CITY OR TOWN N N known as Salem Village came down with a strange illness. They NEW NEW A A Salem VSillagealem Village went into fits that made their bodies shake and twist into odd R R HAMPSHIREHAMPSHIRE F F Salem TSownalem Town positions. Sometimes they crawled on the floor and hid under NEW NEW BostonBoston W W Plymouth tables. They complained of being pinched, bitten, and choked. E E YORK YORK Plymouth At other times, they couldn’t speak at all. N N MASSACHUSETTSMASSACHUSETTS Their family was desperate to cure them. They brought in CONNECTICUTCONNECTICUT doctor after doctor. They prayed for the girls to get well. RHODERHODE ISLAND ISLAND Nothing worked. The girls only seemed to grow sicker. NEW JERSEYNEW JERSEY More than a month later, a local doctor PENNSYLVANIAPENNSYLVANIA ATLANTICATLANTIC gave his opinion. The girls were not sick, he OCEANOCEAN said. He believed they had a much worse 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. A woman named as This idea struck terror in the hearts a witch argues her case in front of a of the villagers. That terror led to a judge. The person deadly event—the Salem Witch Trials who named her, a (questionings in a court of law)—that young girl, lies on the floor. This image was would secure Salem’s place in U.S. created in 1754. history. 5 Who A group of Puritan churchgoers walks through the snow in the What Massachusetts Bay Colony 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. 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 Boston 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.