2020 Puritan Intro PPT .pdf
- 1. How can we prepare to learn about the Salem Witchcraft Trials?
- 2. What happened? • Between January 1692 and May 1693, people were accused and brought to court on allegations of witchcraft • 144-184 people arrested and imprisoned • 19 hanged (14 women and five men) • One man pressed to death with large stones • Two dogs accused of witchcraft and executed In reality, this isn’t a large number of people. Why are we still interested in what happened nearly 400 years ago?
- 3. Who Were the Puritans? The Puritans were a group from the Church of England who disagreed with certain religious practices: worship of idols and ceremonial rituals Theocracy – No separation of church and state. Religious rules would make up most of the laws that run society, and the church would be the head of government. Puritans – Wanted to “purify” the church
- 4. Crucible: A crucible is an extremely challenging burden or hardship that one endures. The Puritans believed that by having a personal crucible, they would prove themselves worthy of being admitted into heaven. A crucible is a also a science instrument used to burn metals because of the high temperatures it creates. What is a Crucible?
- 5. • They believed they were God’s chosen ones. • They felt God justified all their actions, so they stood firm in their resolve. • If someone were to criticize them or harm them, they would turn the other cheek, believing that God would take care of them in the end. What did the Puritans believe?
- 6. 1. First, they believed that humans were despicable beings – Original Sin 2. They subscribed to the belief of unconditional election. Before God created the world, he chose certain individuals to be saved. Puritan Beliefs: We’re All Sinners
- 7. 3. The Puritans believed in Limited Atonement. Basically, only the true were predestined. 4. Irresistible Grace: Once God chose someone for salvation, that person could not resist God’s grace. J Core Puritan Beliefs
- 8. 5. The Puritans believed in Perseverance of the Saints. A person elected by God's grace would never leave the path to salvation. The person would have complete power to understand the word of God, and would never turn towards evil. J Core Puritan Beliefs
- 9. • Was against the law to not attend church. • Men and women sat on different sides of church. Children didn’t sit with parents; were expected to be completely silent. • Service began with a prayer, given by the minister, that lasted about an hour. Following prayer, the minister would give his sermon – which would last from two to four hours. • No music. No bathroom breaks. No heat or air conditioning. Church for Puritans
- 10. What does this suggest?
- 11. No privacy – moral police and fines Nothing could be immodest. If anyone did dishonest or immoral things, such as use profanity or have an affair, he or she would be fined and punished by the court Valued literacy and reading the Bible for direct interaction with God How does this illustration depict Puritan life?
- 12. • Describe the painting. What are the mother and child doing? Describe their clothes. • Describe the faces of the mother and child. How would you describe their emotions? • What new information does this portrait give you about life for seventeenth-century Puritans? Elizabeth Clarke Freake (Mrs. John Freake) and Baby Mary, about 1671 and 1674 Examining Puritan Life
- 13. • Women: subservient to men and naturally evil, following the teachings of the Bible. Stems from Adam and Eve • Social order: Men, married women, single women, children The Role of Puritan Women
- 14. The Role of Puritan Women Tombstones in Salem: Look closely at both of these tombstones. What do they tell you about the role of women in Puritan society?
- 15. Instructions on Good Manners for Colonial Children (1773) “Make a bow always when you come home, and be immediately uncovered. Never sit in the presence of thy parents without bidding, tho’ no stranger be present. If thou passest by thy parents, and any place where thou seest them, when either by themselves or with company, bow towards them. Dispute not, nor delay to obey thy parents commands. Quarrel not nor contend with thy brethren or sisters, but live in love, peace, and unity.” What does this suggest about the role of Puritan children?
- 16. Rebecca Nurse Homestead Danvers, MA Built around 1678 The Nurse family were prosperous farmers who were well- respected in the community and devout Christians. On the next few slides, pay attention to details from the inside of the house. What does this tell you about Puritan life?
- 17. Observations? What does this tell you about Puritan Life?
- 18. Observations? What does this tell you about Puritan Life?
- 19. Observations? What does this tell you about Puritan Life?
- 20. Observations? What does this tell you about Puritan Life?
- 21. • Puritans thought it was their destiny to expand their domain, taking Native land • Constant Native American fights • Associated with the Devil • Diseases (smallpox) killed many From whose perspective is the image at the right? Life With Native Americans
- 22. Life With Native Americans The Puritans tried, unsuccessfully, to convert Indians to Christianity. They thought they were doing the Indians a favor by saving them from damnation.
- 23. • Supernatural world coexists with real world • Devils and angels compete for a person’s soul • Must be on guard at all times – little things could be the work of the Devil • Most at risk were young, single women as they might become “married” to the Devil Belief in the Supernatural
- 24. • The Puritans believed people were not born witches • At some point, they were approached by the Devil to come and be with him • Those who followed signed his book, meaning they made a compact with him Belief in the Supernatural “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Exodus 22:18
- 25. “A witch is a magician, who either by open or secret league, wittingly and willingly contenteth to use the aid and assistance of the devil, in the working of wonders…the woman being the weaker sex, is sooner entangled by the devil’s illusions with this damnable art, than the man…The more women, the more witches. His first temptation in the beginning, was with Eve a woman, and since he pursueth his practice accordingly, as making most for his advantage.” What is a Witch? William Perkins: A Discourse on the Damned Art of Witchcraft, So Far Forth as It is Revealed in the Scriptures and Manifest by True Experience, 1608
- 26. Option One “The free and voluntary confession of the crime, made by the party suspected and accused after examination…” Option Two “The testimony of two witnesses, of good and honest report, avouching before the magistrate upon their knowledge . . . that the party accused, hath made a league with the devil.” How to Determine a Witch? Option Three “The party hath entertained a familiar spirit, and had a conference with it, in the for or likeness of mouse, cat.” From The Wonderful Discovery of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip Flower, 1619
- 27. • In the 16th century, a new Christian theory developed based on Christian theology, law and philosophical ideas. • This theory was that a witch had made a deliberate pact with the devil – almost a form of a personal arrangement – but that a witch did not act alone. • Therefore if one witch existed in a locality, there had to be more. • This led to a shift in the persecution of witches. Whereas a village may have punished an individual in the past, now the Christian witch theory demanded that more be found within one locality. Christian Witch Theory
- 28. • Europe had many witch hunts during the 16th century, killing thousands, predominantly women • Practice became more obsolete during the 17th century • Witch Hunt: An investigation carried out to uncover subversive activities but actually used to harass those with differing views. • Subversive: intended to overthrow or undermine the government Witch Hunt Origins From The Wonderful Discovery of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip Flower, 1619
- 29. Witchcraft Act of 1563: Under Queen Elizabeth I of England, witchcraft received the death penalty only where harm had been caused. Lesser witchcraft offences were punishable by a term of imprisonment. Witchcraft Act of 1604: Under King James I, the penalty of death without benefit of clergy was given to any one who invoked evil spirits or communed with familiar spirits. Witchcraft Act of 1735: A person who claimed to have the power to call up spirits, or foretell the future, or cast spells, or discover the whereabouts of stolen goods, was to be punished as a vagrant and a con artist, subject to fines and imprisonment. Witchcraft Acts King James I
- 30. • Spectral evidence: Evidence based on ghostly or supernatural proof. • Poppets (Voodoo dolls) • Having or reading books other than the Bible • “Witch’s teats” on accused – mole or blemish insensitive to touch, • Cries caused by a dog eating a “witch’s cake” • The touch test Evidence of Witchcraft
- 31. • Excommunication – sent to the forest with the Native Americans • Formal expulsion for the Church and refusal to enter Heaven in the afterlife • Hanging: Public and a form of entertainment. Not all died instantly when they were hung, and it served as a visual reminder not to perform evil actions • Jail and seizure of property • Pleading guilty to witchcraft would save your life, but gave grounds for the Crown to seize property that might not be given back later Puritan Punishments
- 32. Giles Corey, 80 • Pressed to death with large stones as a way to “press” a confession out of him • peine forte et dure – practice not used by British for years • Died two days after pressing without entering plea • Refusal to plead a way to prevent estate being confiscated by crown and a protest against the trials Puritan Punishments
- 33. Salem Village: 550 people, 90 houses – mostly farmers Salem Town: 1,400 people in 1692 – wealthy merchants Parish pastor debate: Burroughs vs. Parris Parsonage compensations: In addition to the money wanted land Land disputes: Multiple families claimed ownership of same land or would hunt in forest property that did not belong to them At the time of the trials, there began a movement away from traditional Puritan practices Salem Village vs. Salem Town
- 34. How did it all begin? Betty Parris, the nine-year-old daughter of the village’s minister, Samuel Parris, and his niece, Abigail Williams, became strangely sick. The girls complained of pinching, prickling sensations, knifelike pains, and the feeling of being choked. Soon, three more girls showed symptoms. Reverend Parris and several doctors suspected witchcraft was responsible. They pressed the girls to name the witches torturing them. The girls identified three women, the third being Parris’s Indian slave, Tituba. Tituba confessed to being a witch, testifying that four women and a man were causing the girls’ illness.
- 35. Salem Village Parsonage 1892 illustration of the Salem Village Parsonage, Reverend Parris’ house
- 37. Salem Village Meetinghouse Most of the events of the trials (hearings, examinations) would have taken place in the Salem Village Meetinghouse This is a recreation of the actual meetinghouse, built on the Rebecca Nurse Homestead for the 1984 movie, Three Sovereigns for Sarah
- 39. What caused the hysteria in Salem? • Native American fears – Indian wars • Fear that the Devil’s men (Indians) were lurking in the forests • Xenophobia: Racism toward Spanish and Native Americans • Spread of smallpox and other diseases • Especially harsh winter Consider again whose perspective this painting is from
- 40. Why did the girls behave in such a manner? • Bored teens • No freedom • Treatment of teenage girls as property and inferior status • Strict and humorless life • Ability to gain power and prestige
- 41. Other possible causes? • Property feuds • Congregation fights • Family grudges • Personal issue between the accuser and the accused • Ergot poisoning • A way to get desires fulfilled • A way to rid the community of those considered unworthy of living on the “city upon a hill”
- 42. Paying tribute – Danvers, MA Most excommunications reversed by 1712 In 1957, the rest were cleared of any charges
- 43. Salem Memorial Dedicated in 1992 by Elie Wiesel
- 44. Final Resting Place A monument was erected to honor Rebecca Nurse on her homestead in the 1800s. It is believed her children took her body after she was hung and buried it in an unmarked footstone in the homestead’s graveyard. Grave of Rebecca Nurse?
- 45. Proctor’s Ledge In January 2016, researchers identified the exact spot where the accused were hanged. While the location was not listed on any surviving maps, records of neighbors who were able to see the executions from their houses helped identify the spot. Today, the location features a memorial with a stone honoring each victim.
- 46. Salem, MA today