Witch Hunt

With their supernatural elements and ghastly consequences, the Salem With trials have long been a topic of fascination and bewilderment. Whether the apparitions and powers attributed to the “witches” of early New England were fabricated or real, the severity of these events was etched into history with the torture and hanging of the Salem accused. From a 20th century perspective, it may appear to us that the young women of Salem truly had gone mad. Yet this gripping program carefully investigates and reconstructs the context behind these famous trials in order to provide a historical understanding of these behaviors and events. Witch Hunt features vivid recreations of the horrifying hardships of life in the 1690s. Interweaving expert commentary with narratives from transcripts, diaries and letters, the program brings to life not only the infamous trials and executions, but also the worldview behind this dark episode in American history. Rather than a clear case of hysteria, this exploration of the events at Salem reveals that they were indicative of the social and political divisions at the core of the early colonies.

Witch Hunt draws upon the expertise of prominent historians and authors in order to provide possible explanations for the spread of the witchcraft accusations and the brutal hangings which followed. These commentators evoke a portrait of an early New England rife with religious conflict as Puritan ideology collided with the belief systems of rural folk life. Threatened by violent interactions with Native Americans and dependent on the labor of slaves, the economic life of Salem was one in which debt was common and simple survival was a daily struggle. This program captures the connections between the social and political spheres in Salem, and will transfix students with its thrilling dramatizations of the accused and their trials. Witch Hunt encourages students to put their minds into the historical framework of the 1690s as they assess the ramifications of this tragic and fascinating chapter in the history of the early colonies. It is an excellent accompaniment to course units on New England and will enrich students’ understanding of the methods historians use for sorting out the complex causes and consequences of events like those which transpired in Salem.

Curriculum Links: Witch Hunt would be useful for History, American Studies and American culture courses. It is appropriate for middle school and high school students, however, some of the recreations in this program could be frightening for younger or more sensitive students. We recommend that teachers view the program in its entirety before showing it to students. It fulfills the following standards as outlined by the National Council for History Education: Conflict and Cooperation, Patterns of Social and Political Interaction, and Human Interaction with the Environment.

• affliction
• besieged
• defiant
• magistrate
• malevolent
• paganism
• renegade
• settlement
• supernatural

Discussion Questions

1. What are some of the explanations the historians in the documentary give for the behavior of the Salem accused which appeared to be “witchcraft”?

2. What were some of the social conflicts which dominated life in Salem? Why was suing in court so common during this time period?

3. Why do you think the majority of those accused of witchcraft were women? Who were the exceptions to this rule?

4. Why did the town authorities assume that Tituba was spreading witchcraft in Salem? What was her historical background?

5. Despite professions of innocence, many of the accused in Salem confessed to practicing witchcraft or casting spells. Why were they driven to confess?

6. In a court of law today, every defendant is given the right to an attorney. Who argued the defense for those accused of witchcraft in Salem? Why?

7. Which explanations for the behavior of the young girls in Witch Hunt do you find most convincing? Do you think they were actually witches or do you think there are other more feasible explanations for their behavior?

8. What role did the Putnam family play in the economic life of Salem? What was the connection between their financial situation and the Salem trials?

9. Do you think the Puritan ideals of the early colonists contributed to the hysteria surrounding the accusations of witchcraft? Why or why not?

10. How did the accusations of witchcraft finally subside in New England?

11. Can you think of other events in history that have similarities to the Salem Witch Trials?

Extended Activities

1. The historians of the Salem Witch Trials have based their explanations for these events on archival research using primary sources. These sources allow historians to recreate the world of Salem in order to understand what happened there and to explain the belief systems of the early colonies. At the library or using the Internet, locate one primary source related to the Salem Witch Trials. Read this source or a portion of it and then write an essay of 2 pages or less about the source. Who produced or created the source? How was it recorded? What does it tell us about the events at Salem? Be sure to look carefully at the source and look for clues that might give you new insights into the events of 1692.

2. Cotton Mather was an important figure in the early colonies. In “Witch Hunt”, his chronicles of the Salem affair are used as evidence to shed light on the witch hunts. Locate a copy of Mather’s writings on Salem entitled “Wonders of the Invisible World”. Read through some of his writings in order to get a sense of his writing style and historical context. Then, pretend that you are in Mather’s shoes and need to write about the trials. Write an essay of one to two pages as if you are Mather writing about one aspect of the Salem events. You can be creative with your essay. For example, you may want to imagine that you are Mather witnessing one of the confessions at the trials, or that you are present when one of the young girls is accused by someone in her community.

3. Imagine that you are one of the judges deciding the fate of Martha Corey, one of the accused witches featured in the documentary. (If you need more information about Martha Corey, you can find out more about her story at the library or through Internet research.) Write a short speech of three minutes or less with your decision about whether or not the accused are guilty and if so what their sentence should be. Your argument should be based on the evidence you learned from the program and from your own research. Then, give your argument in a presentation to your larger class or group. You can even be creative and dress in costume!

4. Historically, Salem was one of the early Puritan settlements—in many ways it was a social experiment. Locate a map of the early colonies at the library or using the Internet. Print out this map and either paste it to a poster-board or re-create it in your own original drawing on a poster-board. Pinpoint Salem and at least three other early colonies or colonial settlements on your map. Include a brief timeline on the side of your poster-board tracing the founding of the colonies and other significant events from 1609 through 1700. You can also decorate your poster with images of or quotes from the Salem accused.

5. It is your job to write an “epitaph” for the Salem accused. First, look up the word “epitaph” and determine its meaning. Then, write one which you think encapsulates the events at Salem and reflects the historical legacy of these events.

Primary Sources

• Boyer, Paul Stephen Nissenbaum.“Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft”, Harvard University Press, 1974.
• Conde, Maryse. “I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem”, Ballantine, 1994.
• Rosenthal, Bernard. “Salem Story : Reading the Witch Trials of 1692”, Cambridge University Press, 1995.
• The Salem Witch Museum’s web site, with links and helpful background information: http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/
• An excellent site with background information and historical context on Salem: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SALEM.HTM
• Primary sources on the Salem trials: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/
• Norton, Mary Beth. “In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692”, Vintage, 2003.
• Reis, Elizabeth. “Damned Women: Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England”, (Cornell University Press, 1999).