Vocab Words: (2 today) Conjecture Despicable When you are finished, turn to the Reading Section of your notebook.

Puritan Beliefs and the Salem Witchcraft Trials

Puritans: Definition: movement for reform, occurred within the Church of England between the time of Elizabeth and Charles II.

Who were the Puritans? They wanted to reform their national church by eliminating every shred of Catholic influence Their attempt to “purify” the Church of England and their own lives was based on the teachings of John Calvin Left for the new world in 1620 to escape religious persecution and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Puritan Beliefs Total Depravity of Man: God created Adam in his own perfect image, but Adam in willfulness broke God’s covenant. Only God’s grace can revive the corpse and save the sinner. Unconditional Election: redemption is the result of the free gift of God’s saving grace, made to those predestined to receive it – the elect. No person can earn salvation through either faith or good works. However, the elect who are to be saved cannot take their election for granted. They must constantly strive to serve God with obedience, searching their souls rigorously and frequently for signs of grace. Limited Atonement: Christ died to save only the elect. God is not obliged to save any man, for all are sinners. Irresistible Grace: God is totally sovereign over his created universe, and nothing can resist his will. Perseverance of the Saints: The elect can never be lost, since their salvation is brought about by the immutable will of God.

The Puritans believed that they could accomplish good only through continued hard work and self-discipline. They also believed that the Bible was the sole expression of God’s will, and it was to be studied closely and followed with discipline. Discipline was administered by the church.

The Salem Witch Trials Video link

The Salem Witch Trials began in what is now known as Danvers, Massachusetts. In the 17th century Danvers was known as Salem, 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 24 innocent people were killed.

What Happened? Group of young girls in Salem claimed to be possessed by the devil. They accused several local women of witchcraft. As a wave of hysteria spread throughout the colony, a special court convened to hear the cases. First hearing convicted Bridget Bishop of being a witch and sentenced her to hang. Then it got out of control. By the end 150 men, women, and children were accused. Later the Massachusetts Court annulled the guilty verdicts, but for many, it was too late.

Causes of Witchcraft Hysteria in Salem 1.  Strong belief that Satan is acting in the world. "The invisible world": disease, natural catastrophes, and bad fortune 2.  A belief that Satan recruits witches and wizards to work for him. 3.  A time  of troubles, making it seem likely that Satan was active. -Congregational strife in Salem Village -Frontier wars with Indians

Causes Continued 4. Stimulation of imaginations by Tituba. 5. Teenage boredom. -No television, no CDs, and lots of Bible reading 6. Confessing "witches" adding credibility to earlier charges. 7.  Old feuds (disputes within congregation, property disputes) between the accusers and the accused spurring charges of witchcraft 8. A belief that a person afflicted by witchcraft exhibits certain symptoms

7 Bizarre Witch Trial Tests 1. Swimming Test- Do they sink or float? Innocent would sink, guilty would foat. 2. Prayer Test- Had to recite scripture without any errors or hesitation. If you were nervous…too bad for you! 3. Victim was brought into the room. Suspect was told to lay their hand on the victim. If the victim had a reaction. The suspect was found guilty.

4. Witch Cake – supernatural dessert used to identify suspected evildoers. A witch cake is composed of rye meal mixed with urine from the afflicted children. It is then fed to a dog. The person is considered bewitched if the dog displays similar symptoms as the afflicted.

5. Witch’s Marks – Witch-hunters often had their suspects stripped and publically examined for signs of an unsightly blemish that witches were said to receive upon making their pact with satan. Moles, scars, birthmarks, sores, and tatoos could qualify. Examiners rarely came up empty handed. 6. Pricking and Scratching Tests – Witch marks were supposed to be insensitive to pain and could not bleed. So examiners would repeatedly stab and prick at the accused person’s flesh with needles until they discovered a spot that produced the desired results. 7. Incantations – Known as “charging.” The accused witch was forced to verbally order the devil to let the victim come out of their fit or trance. If it worked, the accused witch was hanged.

What was the Real Cause? Salem Witch Trial Video http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch- trials/videos/salem-witch-trials

How it started . . . -Betty Parris became strangely ill. She dashed about, dove under furniture, contorted in pain, and complained of fever. The cause of her symptoms may have been some combination of stress, asthma, guilt, boredom, child abuse, epilepsy, and delusional psychosis. -Talk of witchcraft increased when other playmates of Betty, including eleven-year-old Ann Putnam, seventeen-year-old Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott, began to exhibit similar unusual behavior. -A doctor called to examine the girls, suggested that the girls' problems might have a supernatural origin. The widespread belief that witches targeted children made the doctor's diagnosis seem increasingly likely. -Douglas Linder

STATS: Nineteen men and women were hanged, all having been convicted of witchcraft Another man of over eighty years was pressed to death under heavy stones for refusing to submit to a trial on witchcraft charges Many languished in jail for months without trials At least four died in prison

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Setting We begin with a play, set in colonial America. Arthur Miller’s drama The Crucible has its feet in two eras of time, Puritanical New England Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and Cold War Washington of the 1950’s. Miller presents America’s deepest past in order to make a modern point. He saw that, as the saying goes, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

How the play begins . . . Group of girls caught dancing in woods with Tituba Among the group is the Daughter of Rev. Parris and the daughter of Thomas and Anne Putnam Girls feign sickness and possession Both families demand that the possessors be found and punished