5.+Salem+Witch+Trials

__**Salem Witch Trials**__

[|Salem Witch Trials- National Geographic] -Experience the story through the eyes of someone living this nightmare

[|Salem Witch Trials- Discovery Channel] -A great overview video

Conflict between wealthy city of Salem and village of Salem • Village of Salem were not quite as rich( if you lived in the older part of the city of Salem you most likely had a better profession- such as merchant, Salem Village was more of a farming community) • There was somewhat of a distrust between village of Salem and wealthy city of Salem. • Village of Salem finally gains some freedom from older Salem- tlak of brekaing apart completely • The minister of Salem Village = Samuel Parris ( asks for raises, gets title to parsonage: home in the church) • The "afflicted"- Elizabeth Parris(9) was Samuel Parris's daughter and other girl Abigail Williams( 11) was Samuel Parris's niece. Girls' friend Anne Putnam also involved. • To find entertainment during the stressful times, the girls would go listen to the stories of the slave Tituba (remember that Puritan children were not allowed "playtime".) The "witch" - Tituba, a slave from Barbados- told witch and voodoo stories to girls. Accused of witchcraft, later confesses after being beaten. Name others- not killed
 * Important Background Information**

Girls start acting weird- barking, moving/ flailing in church (unheard of for Puritan children...especially the minister's daughter) • When demanded who is possessing them- claimed it was Tituba, Sarah Good (homeless), Sarah Osburne (outcast) • Girls started pointing fingers at people who were outcasts (important to see that they started with easy targets...as they grow in power, the girls start fingering more prominent members of society) • Then got more bold and pointed fingers at enemies of their father (Reverend Burroughs), people who doubted the girls or spoke out against witchhunt (Proctor, Constantable) or not friends with. • Then point fingers at very high people (governor's wife) • When governor's wife & Reverend's wife were accuses, the trials came to an end
 * How It Begins**

Tituba, and Sarah Osburn because people who confessed pointed fingers at other" witches and wizards • Townspeople providing eye- witness accounts. • If they confessed they were kept alive
 * Who confessed**

Judges allowed "spectral" evidence • Later on: no more • Everybody fed into the mess of this • Ministers- told people devil is among them
 * What happened in the Trials**

19 people had been hanged, 5 died in prison (including an infant), and one crushed by stones. • All carried a sense of guilt • Something everyone wanted to forget • Only one to apologize: Ann Putnam
 * By the end of the Trials**

Girls? Ministers? Townspeople? Those who confessed and pointed her finger at others? Judges?
 * Who is to Blame for Witch trials?**

-The Town of Salem with live in an awkward sense of guilt for quite some time- take new minister named Greene to start healing the wounds (forced enemies to sit next to each other in church). -Puritan Faith- will start to be doubted and questioned. -Judicial System- The idea of //Innocent until proven Guilty// becomes an important cornerstone to the new American Court System...too many innocent people imprisoned or executed when they have to prove their own innocence. -Cotton Mather said "It would be better to free ten witches than execute just one innocent soul"
 * What Long Term effects With this Have?**