The Salem Witch Hunt: A Brief History with Documents

The Salem witch trials stand as one of the infamous moments in colonial American history. More than 150 people -- primarily women -- from 24 communities were charged with witchcraft; 19 were hanged and others died in prison. This second edition continues to explore the beliefs, fears, and historical context that fueled the witch panic of 1692. In his revised introduction, Richard Godbeer offers coverage of the convulsive ergotism thesis advanced in the 1970s and a discussion of new scholarship on men who were accused of witchcraft for explicitly gendered reasons. The documents in this volume illuminate how the Puritans' worldview led them to seek a supernatural explanation for the problems vexing their community. Presented as case studies, the carefully chosen records from several specific trials offer a clear picture of the gender norms and social tensions that underlie the witchcraft accusations. New to this edition are records from the trial of Samuel Wardwell, a fortune-teller or "cunning man" whose apparent expertise made him vulnerable to suspicions of witchcraft. The book's final documents cover recantations of confessions, the aftermath of the witch hunt, and statements of regret. A chronology of the witchcraft crisis, questions for consideration, and a selected bibliography round out the book's pedagogical support. Front Matter Cover The Bedford Series in History and Culture Title Page Copyright Page Foreword Dedication Preface A Note about the Documents Contents Part One Introduction: Explaining the Salem Witch Hunt Putting Salem into a Larger Context Puritanism and the Supernatural World Dangerous Women Malevolent Neighbors The Witch Panic of 1692 The Afflicted Girls Trying a Witch The Collapse of the Trials Part Two The Documents 1 Signs and Assaults from the Supernatural World 1 The Arrival of a Comet and the Death of a Star Preacher 2 Samuel Sewall Finds Reassurance in a Rainbow 3 The Death of Cotton Mather’s Infant Son 4 Strange Afflictions in the Goodwin Household 5 The Horseshoe Controversy in Newberry, Massachusetts 6 Mary Rowlandson’s Account of the Indian Attack on Lancaster 7 Cotton Mather on the Quaker Threat 8 The Dominion of New England 9 Cotton Mather on the Recent History of New England 2 Beginnings 10 John Hale’s Account 1702 11 Deodat Lawson’s Account 1692 12 Samuel Parris on the Outbreak of Witch Accusations in Salem Village March 27, 1692 13 Samuel Parris’s Statement to His Congregation about Mary Sibley’s Use of Countermagic March 27, 1692 3 Witches on Trial Sarah Good 14 Arrest Warrant for Sarah Good February 29, 1692 15 Examination of Sarah Good (as Recorded by Ezekiel Cheever) March 1, 1692 16 Elizabeth Hubbard against Sarah Good March 1, 1692 17 Ann Putnam Jr. against Sarah Good March 1, 1692 18 William Allen, John Hughes, William Good, and Samuel Braybrook against Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba March 5, 1692 19 Abigail Williams against Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba May 23, 1692 20 Indictment against Sarah Good for Afflicting Sarah Bibber June 28, 1692 21 Sarah Bibber against Sarah Good June 28, 1692 22 Sarah Gadge and Thomas Gadge against Sarah Good June 28, 1692 23 Joseph Herrick Sr. and Mary Herrick against Sarah Good June 28, 1692 24 Samuel Abbey and Mary Abbey against Sarah Good June 29, 1692 25 Henry Herrick and Jonathan Batchelor against Sarah Good June 29, 1692 26 Samuel Sibley against Sarah Good June 29, 1692 27 Death Warrant for Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth How, and Sarah Wilds and Officer’s Return July 12, 1692, and July 19, 1692 Tituba 28 First Examination of Tituba (as Recorded by Jonathan Corwin) March 1, 1692 29 Second Examination of Tituba (as Recorded by Jonathan Corwin) March 2, 1692 30 Elizabeth Hubbard against Tituba March 1, 1692 31 Ann Putnam Jr. against Tituba March 1, 1692 32 Indictment against Tituba for Covenanting with the Devil May 9, 1693 John Proctor 33 Elizabeth Booth against John Proctor April 11, 1692 34 Abigail Williams against John Proctor May 31, 1692 35 Physical Examination of John Proctor and John Willard June 2, 1692 36 Mary Warren against John Proctor June 30, 1692 37 Petition of John Proctor July 23, 1692 38 Samuel Sibley against John Proctor August 5, 1692 39 Petition for John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor August 5, 1692 40 Petition for John Proctor and Elizabeth Proctor August 5, 1692 Bridget Bishop 41 Examination of Bridget Bishop (as Recorded by Ezekiel Cheever) April 19, 1692 42 William Stacy against Bridget Bishop May 30, 1692 43 Sarah Churchill and Mary Warren against Bridget Bishop and Others June 1, 1692 44 Physical Examinations of Bridget Bishop and Others June 2, 1692 45 John Bly Sr. and Rebecca Bly against Bridget Bishop June 2, 1692 46 John Bly Sr. and William Bly against Bridget Bishop June 2, 1692 47 Richard Coman against Bridget Bishop June 2, 1692 48 John Louder against Bridget Bishop June 2, 1692 49 Samuel Shattuck and Sarah Shattuck against Bridget Bishop June 2, 1692 50 Susannah Sheldon against Bridget Bishop and Others June 3, 1692 Dorcas Hoar 51 Examination of Dorcas Hoar (as Recorded by Samuel Parris) May 2, 1692 52 Sarah Bibber against Dorcas Hoar July 2, 1692 53 Elizabeth Hubbard against Dorcas Hoar July 2, 1692 54 Ann Putnam Jr. against Dorcas Hoar July 2, 1692 55 Mary Walcott against Dorcas Hoar July 2, 1692 56 Mary Gage against Dorcas Hoar and Others September 6, 1692 57 John Hale against Dorcas Hoar September 6, 1692 58 Joseph Morgan and Deborah Morgan against Dorcas Hoar September 6, 1692 59 John Tuck against Dorcas Hoar September 6, 1692 60 Petition of John Hale, Nicholas Noyes, Daniel Epes, and John Emerson Jr. September 21, 1692 George Burroughs 61 Benjamin Hutchinson against George Burroughs and Others April 22, 1692 62 Examination of George Burroughs (as Recorded by Samuel Parris) May 9, 1692 63 Elizar Keyser against George Burroughs May 9, 1692 64 Mercy Lewis against George Burroughs May 9, 1692 65 John Putnam Sr. and Rebecca Putnam against George Burroughs May 9, 1692 66 Mary Walcott against George Burroughs May 9, 1692 67 Simon Willard and William Wormall against George Burroughs May 9, 1692 68 Abigail Hobbs, Deliverance Hobbs, and Mary Warren against George Burroughs and Others June 1, 1692 69 Mary Webber against George Burroughs August 2, 1692 70 Ann Putnam Jr. against George Burroughs August 3, 1692 71 Hannah Harris against George Burroughs August 5, 1692 72 Thomas Greenslit against George Burroughs September 15, 1692 73 Sarah Wilson and Martha Tyler against George Burroughs September 15, 1692 Samuel Wardwell 74 Examination of Samuel Wardwell (as recorded by William Murray) September 1, 1692 75 Abigail Martin and John Bridges against Samuel Wardwell September 14, 1692 76 Thomas Chandler against Samuel Wardwell September 14, 1692 77 Ephraim Foster against Samuel Wardwell September 14, 1692 78 Joseph Ballard against Samuel Wardwell September 14, 1692 79 Martha Sprague, Mary Walcott, and Mary Warren against Samuel Wardwell September 14, 1692 80 Petition from Andover Selectmen September 26, 1692 4 The Witch Court under Attack 81 Confession of William Barker Sr. August 29, 1692 82 Recantation of Margaret Jacobs Undated 83 Declaration of Mary Osgood, Mary Tyler, Deliverance Dane, Abigail Barker, Sarah Wilson, and Hannah Tyler Undated 84 Increase Mather’s Conversation in Prison with Mary Tyler Undated 85 The Return of Several Ministers Consulted by His Excellency and the Honorable Council upon the Present Witchcrafts in Salem Village June 15, 1692 86 Letter from Cotton Mather to John Foster August 17, 1692 87 Letter from Robert Pike to Jonathan Corwin August 9, 1692 88 Letter from Thomas Brattle to an Unnamed Clergyman October 8, 1692 89 Letter from William Phips to William Blathwayt, Clerk of the Privy Council in London October 12, 1692 5 Aftermath 90 Samuel Parris’s Meditations for Peace, Read to the Congregation at the Salem Village Church November 18, 1694 91 Summary of Grievances against Samuel Parris, Read to the Congregation at the Salem Village Church November 26, 1694 92 A Proclamation December 17, 1696 93 Public Apology by Samuel Sewall January 14, 1697 94 Public Apology by Jurymen Undated 95 The Public Confession of Ann Putnam August 25, 1706 96 Reversals of Conviction, Judgment, and Attainder October 17, 1711 97 The Massachusetts General Court Makes Restitution December 17, 1711 98 Reversals of Excommunication at the Church in Salem Town March 6, 1712 99 John Hale on “Hidden Works of Darkness” 1702 Back Matter Notes Appendixes A Chronology of the Salem Witch Hunt, 1692–1712 Questions for Consideration Selected Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U W Backcover