IBHOA Halloween Supplement

 1400’s-1600’s – Witch Hunts in Europe  Coincided with political instability (Thirty Year’s War)  Last witch convicted in England: 1682

 in Salem Village…  Abigail Williams (11) & Elizabeth “Betty” Parris (9) fell ill

 Complained of :  pinching, prickling sensations, knifelike pains, and the feeling of being choked.  three more girls showed similar symptoms

 Doctor & Reverend suggested witchcraft might be the cause of odd behavior  Pressured girls to name witches who were “torturing them”

 Girls identified Tituba and 2 white women (Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne) as “witches”  Tituba confessed to being a witch, and testified that four women and a man were causing the girls’ illness  Accusations began!

 The girls continued to accuse people of witchcraft  all arrested and awaited trial in jail

 In groups, examine the documents (A,B,C,D)  According to the documents, why did the people of Salem believe the girls’ accusations?

 Divisions in Salem:  1. Salem Town – Prosperous port, commercial center  Population: 1,400  2. Salem Village – Poor farming region on the periphery  Population: 550  (Document D)

 Town depended on Village for food  Town collected (and) set high taxes for Village  Villagers resented Salem Town for their “materialism”

 Most of the accusations made by Villagers (“poor” side)  Accused…  Middle Aged wives & widows From Town (“prosperous” side)  The Accused : had un explicable blemishes (moles), were Unfeminine, aggressive and disliked

A. FLEE SALEM  (B) ACCUSE SOMEONE ELSEACCUSE SOMEONE ELSE  (C) QUICK! GET PREGNANTQUICK! GET PREGNANT  (D) CONFESS, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE INNOCENTCONFESS, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE INNOCENT  (E) PLEAD INNOCENT AND STAND FOR TRIALPLEAD INNOCENT AND STAND FOR TRIAL  (F) REFUSE TO STAND FOR TRIAL AND FACE THE CONSEQUENCESREFUSE TO STAND FOR TRIAL AND FACE THE CONSEQUENCES

 The afflicted girls 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 (spectral evidence)

  1. click on Transcription of Court Records  2. Salem Witchcraft papers  3. Transcription of the court records  Choose 1 court record and go over it with a partner  What did you learn by reading this document?

 134 were accused of witchcraft  24 males, 110 females  20 men and women were convicted of witchcraft & suffered death penalty  7 died in jail while awaiting trial

 19 accused witches were hanged on Gallows Hill in 1692  The 1 st : June 10 th Bridget Bishop  The last: September 22 nd : Samuel Wardwell  1 man Giles Corey was pressed to death on September 19th

 1. respected citizens were convicted and executed  2. Accusations of witchcraft included the powerful and well-connected  3. The educated elite of Boston pressured the Governor to exclude spectral evidence (lacked legal credibility)

 1. the importance of innocent until proven guilty.  2. the importance of “credible evidence” in court.

  %20Lesson%20Plan.pdf %20Lesson%20Plan.pdf