Witchcraft in Europe

The Salem witch trials of 1692 / the economic, social and anthropological impact of puritan thought

Introduction

I. Background on Puritanism

Puritanism is a Christian faith which originated in England during the early seventeenth century. The ideals which separate Puritans from other Christians include their strict belief in predestination. This term refers to the idea that God has previously chosen those who will be saved, and an individual can do nothing to change this status. The Puritan Covenant of Grace calls for all Puritans to be actively faithful. The Covenant of Works is the belief that those who follow God's moral codes will be blessed with eternal life.

The Puritans split from the Church of England in 1633. When William Laud became the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the new beliefs he brought were unacceptable to those members who sought to "purify" the Church. These new beliefs included emphasis on individual acceptance or rejection of God's grace, toleration for a variety of religious beliefs, and the incorporation of "high church" symbols. The Puritans wished to rid their religion of all Catholic influence.

Early in the seventeenth century, groups of Puritans began leaving Europe to travel to the American colonies. The New England region became the center for Puritans, but the group was spread throughout the area north of Virginia. The main goal of these immigrants was to form a religious community in which their "pure" ideals could be central. The radical beliefs of the Puritans flourished in the New World. By keeping a strong connection between Church and State, the Puritans were able to control most of the colonies' activity until the end of the seventeenth century.

The Puritans held five basic beliefs.

„X Total Depravity: By virtue of the original sin of Adam, when one is born, he has no right to salvation.

„X Unconditional Election: Some are chosen for salvation, some are not. There is nothing one can do to change his status.

„X Limited Atonement: The extent to which one can please God with acts is limited.

„X Irresistible Grace: God showers one with a quality of grace, and one cannot resist it.

„X Perseverance: Once one has been saved, nothing he does will change that fact.

These central beliefs, along with an extreme emphasis on preaching and the laws contained within the Bible itself formed the strict ideals of American

The Salem witch trials took place in Salem village, a rural settlement near Salem town. The trials resulted after the village petitioned the general court for the right to establish a church of their own. At the time for political and economic reason this was a questionable move, but in 1672 the general court authorized the establishment of a separate parish by doing so the court had put the village inhabitants on their own political arena.

The move saw a series of preachers come and go as they all failed to unite the feuding factions of the village. It was not until 1689 when one Samuel Paris became minister. Paris had spent 20 years in the Caribbean as a merchant and had taken up preaching only three years before coming to Salem. Paris proved also incapable of bringing an end to the feuding factions of the church just like his predecessors before him he failed. It was in January 1692 that the church voted to dismiss him; it was at this time that ParisЎ¦s daughter and Ann Putnam began to behave in very weird ways. They started uttering Ў§foolish, ridiculous speeches which neither they themselves nor the elders would make sense of.ЎЁ It was after a doctor diagnosed their bizarre behaviour as the work of the devil. They were declared as bewitched.

Bewitching accusations execution] were then laid down to proceed upon, whichProdded by Parris and others, the girls named their tormentors: Sarah Good, a poor woman; Sarah Osbourn, an elderly woman; and Tituba, a slave who had told them stories involving Vudou beliefs. The women were tried for witchcraft - Good and Osbourn claimed innocence, and Tituba confessed. Tituba's detailed confession included a claim that there were several undiscovered witches who wanted to destroy the community. This caused a witch-hunting rampage: 19 men and women were hanged, one man was pressed to death, and over 150 more people were imprisoned, awaiting trial.

On September 22, 1692, the last eight alleged witches were hanged. On October 8, 1692, Governor Phipps ordered that spectral evidence (when someone claimed to witness a person's spirit in a separate location