More People Were Charged With Witchcraft?

Increase Mather, a Massachusetts Puritan clergyman, was a prominent figure in the Salem witch trials. He became concerned that innocent people were being convicted and executed for witchcraft, leading to his belief in the power of witchcraft. In his book “In Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits Personating Men”, Mather expressed his distrust of spectral evidence and argued that it would be better for ten witches to go free than the 20 who were executed.

The Salem witch trials began in 1692 when young girls in Salem Village claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women. Mather and his fellow New Englanders believed that God directly intervened in the establishment of the trials. Mather published a book on witchcraft in 1684 and his son Cotton Mather published one in 1689. He brought out a London edition of his son’s book in 1690.

Despite believing in witches, Mather flatly rejected such tests for accused witches as reciting witchcraft hysteria. His book Remarkable Providences was published in 1684 and forwards a doctrinal belief in the real power of witchcraft. However, when his wife and other prominent figures were accused of witchcraft, Mather changed his mind and wrote countless sermons about witches. After his wife’s wife was accused of witchcraft, Mather used evidence against witches, suggesting that he, like many others, truly believed witchcraft was at work in Salem and demanded intervention.

What were the reasons for the Increase in witchcraft accusations?

The fear of witches and bewitchment originated in the medieval period when the Roman Catholic Church taught the dangers of witchcraft. Print texts like Malleus Maleficarum illustrated the horrors of witchcraft, which remained within popular imagination until the early modern period. After the Reformation, it was still perceived as a threat to the church and a well-ordered society. Witchcraft accusations increased during times of uncertainty and upheaval, such as war and famine.

General fears of witchcraft within society could also feed into specific accusations that originated within local communities, making people disliked by their neighbors more vulnerable to being accused.

Witchcraft was particularly associated with women in the early modern period, and this continued into the modern era. Modern images of witches who were women, often riding on broomsticks with a pointy hat, are often used today. Women were more likely to be accused because the church’s teaching that women were the weaker sex, seen as more vulnerable to the seductive powers of the Devil. However, men were also suspected and accused of witchcraft, such as the male witches of Edmonton.

Lots of the sources in this resource are legal documents related to witchcraft trials, which involve an indictment, witnesses, examination, confession, possibly with torture, and execution for those found guilty. Not all accusations of witchcraft were believed, and people were suspicious of attempts to pretend to be bewitched or pretend to be a witch.

What happened to Increase Mather in Salem?

In the second season of the series, Mary Sibley discovers the decomposed head of Increase Mather and uses it to summon a spell against the evil countess. Increase is trapped in hell, tortured forever by demons with his face. He signs a pact with the Queen of the Night, promising to help defeat the Countess if she gives way to the ghost to speak to his son Cotton. Cotton accepts, and Increase terrorizes him in his private rooms.

When Cotton realizes his father is a ghost, he listens to his words with disappointment. Increase apologizes to his son and warns about the supernatural war that will lead to the destruction of Salem. Mary sends Increase on Marburg’s ship, where he searches for something that might harm the Countess. When he returns, he tells Mary that the weakness of the Countess is the ship itself and vanishes, leaving only his coat in Mary’s hands. Increase’s death was the last of the lives sacrificed to complete the witch’s grand rite.

Was Increase Mather a real person?

Increase Mather was a prominent Boston Congregational minister, author, and educator who played a significant role in the councils of New England during the first native-born generation. Born in 1639, he attended Harvard at the age of 12 and received a bachelor’s degree at 17. His attack on Aristotelian logic shocked the faculty and nearly led to his dismissal. Mather preached his first sermon at his 18th birthday and later attended Trinity College in Dublin. He refused to wear a cap and gown at Trinity College and was appointed a fellow there.

He preached at various posts in England and was at Guernsey when Charles II was proclaimed king. He refused to drink to the king’s health or sign papers expressing rejoicing. After the appointment of a new governor for Guernsey, Increase left a comfortable living and sailed to New England, where he became minister of North Church, Boston, in 1661. He married his stepsister, Maria Cotton, in 1662, who died in 1714, and Ann Cotton, widow of his nephew John, in 1715.

Who did Cotton Mather accuse of witchcraft?

Cotton Mather, the minister of Boston’s Old North church, was a staunch believer in witchcraft. In 1688, he investigated the unusual behavior of four children of a Boston mason named John Goodwin and concluded that witchcraft, specifically that practiced by an Irish washerwoman named Mary Glover, was responsible for their problems. Mather’s experience led him to vow to never use one grain of patience with anyone who would impose a denial of Devils or Witches.

As the Salem witchcraft trials progressed, Mather became convinced that an Army of Devils was breaking in upon the center of the city. On August 4, 1692, Mather delivered a sermon warning that the Last Judgment was near and portraying himself, Chief Justice Stroughton, and Governor Phips as leading the final charge against the Devil’s legions.

On August 19, Mather witnessed the execution of ex-minister George Burroughs for witchcraft. When Burroughs was able to recite the Lord’s Prayer perfectly, Mather intervened, reminding those gathered that Burroughs had been duly convicted by a jury. Mather was given the official records of the Salem trials for use in preparation of a book, “Wonders of the Invisible World”, which provides fascinating insights into the trials and Mather’s own mind.

When confessed witches began recanting their testimony, Mather may have begun to have doubts about some of the proceedings. He revised his position on the use of spectral evidence and tried to minimize his own large role in its consideration in the Salem trials. Later in life, Mather turned away from the supernatural and may have come to question whether it played the role he first suspected.

Who was the leader of the Salem witch trials?

The Salem Witch Trials occurred in 1692 when a special Court of Oyer and Terminer was established in Salem to hear cases of witchcraft. The court, led by Chief Justice William Stoughton, consisted of magistrates and jurors. Bridget Bishop, the first to be tried, was found guilty and hanged on June 10. The Superior Court of Judicature, formed to replace the witchcraft court, did not allow spectral evidence, sealing the fates of those tried. The new court released those awaiting trial and pardoned those awaiting execution, effectively ending the Salem Witch Trials.

As years passed, apologies were offered and restitution was made to the victims’ families. Historians and sociologists have examined this complex episode to understand the issues of that era and view subsequent events with heightened awareness. The parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and modern examples of witch hunting, such as the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, are remarkable.

Who was most likely to be accused of witchcraft?

The Salem witch trials were a period of intense scrutiny and accusations against women, often based on factors such as gender, religion, economic status, age, and societal influence. Teenage girls were the most common target, but 4-year-old Dorothy Good was also accused of witchcraft. Not all witchcraft accusations occurred during trials, as Anne Hutchinson, who started Bible study groups with women in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was accused of engaging in the devil’s work for helping deliver a stillborn child. Other girls, like Tituba, an enslaved woman, were accused without clear reasons, with race being considered a factor in her accusations.

What did Mather do?

Cotton Mather, born on February 12th 1663 into a family of prominent Puritan ministers, was known for his contributions to the Puritan faith. Born into a political leader’s family, Mather excelled in entrance exams in Latin and Greek and began his education at Harvard at age 12. After receiving his M. A. at 18, Mather felt called to a life of service in the clergy but had a terrible stutter, which forced him to delay entering the ministry and preaching. However, encouragement from a friend eventually pulled him back to his calling, and medicine remained a key interest throughout his life.

Mather was one of the most influential Puritan ministers of his time, publishing over400 works, including his account of the Salem witch trials. His publication, CuriosaAmericana (1712-24), demonstrated his abilities as an accomplished scientist and earned him election to the Royal Society of London, England. Although his efforts of encouraging smallpox inoculation were met with resistance and nearly killed his own son, he is recognized as having been a progressive medical advocate for his day.

Mather’s interest in the craft and actions of Satan won him an audience with the most powerful figures involved in the trial proceedings, such as judges and local ministers in Salem. He used his experience with the Goodwin family to further his notion that New England was in fact a battleground with Satan. Similar themes appear in his sermons and the Preface to one of his children’s books, warning young readers that lying would lead them to eternal damnation. Scholars suggest that Mather’s dramatic descriptions of the devil’s activity upon the young Goodwin children may have led to the first cry of witchcraft among the young girls in Salem Village.

What were the leading causes of the witch accusations in Salem?

Over time, colonists arrived in Salem Village, causing tensions between the two communities. In the 1670s, Salem Village formed its own church and appointed a controversial minister, leading to increased concerns. In January 1692, several young girls reported witchcraft, which was considered a witch in the 17th century. Four men and four girls traveled to Salem Town to make complaints against three women, and interrogations began.

Historical research shows Bridget Bishop, a witty and independent resident of Salem, was put on trial first, possibly to set the tone for subsequent hearings. She was acquitted of witchcraft 12 years earlier, and multiple accusers claimed her specter was responsible for damages and afflictions. However, no witchcraft allegedly committed by Bridget Bishop was proven by the required testimony of two witnesses. Instead, the court relied on the spectral evidence claimed by the accusers, who could “see” the invisible world of demons. This injustice set the pattern for the remainder of the trials.

Who is most responsible for what happened in Salem?

Thomas Putnam, a wealthy resident of Salem, was the first to seek warrants against accused witches and was a driving force behind the trials. He and his family had property disputes with several of the accused. The Parris Household, led by Pastor Samuel Parris, was a significant force behind the accusations. Elizabeth “Betty” Parris and Abigail Williams, the first “afflicted” girls, began having unexplained fits in January 1692 after experimenting with fortune-telling and were diagnosed as possessed.

They remained the main accusers throughout the trials. Tituba, a female slave likely of Native South American ancestry owned by Parris, was the first to be accused of witchcraft by Betty and Abigail. She confessed and accused others, first naming Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. Tituba told elaborate stories about rituals and animal familiars, leading to further accusations. Parris refused to pay her jailing costs, so she spent thirteen months in jail before someone else paid the costs. Her fate after being released is unknown.

Who was accused in the Salem witch trials?

The Salem witch hunt began in 17th-century Puritan New England when a minister’s daughter, Betty, began to exhibit strange symptoms. The doctor suggested supernatural causes, and by March 1, 1692, three women were accused of witchcraft: Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, an Indigenous woman from Barbados. The witch hunt resulted in the deaths of 20 people, including one who was accidentally killed during torture. The Salem witch trials are still fascinating to people today because 17th-century Puritan New England was a highly codified patriarchal society.

Young women seemed to be on the same page for reasons that nobody really understands, even to this day. They may have dabbled in fortune telling to ease their anxieties about their marriage prospects, which determined their futures and financial stability. Many of the women were servants and nieces, who may have experienced heightened anxiety about their marital prospects due to lack of money and family connections. Many of them were orphaned during skirmishes with Native Americans on Massachusetts’ northern frontier and had recently experienced bloodshed, loss, and trauma.

Who was the youngest person accused of witchcraft in Salem?

Dorothy Good, the youngest person to be imprisoned during the trials, was the daughter of Sarah Good, often incorrectly called Dorcas. The Parris Household, including the Putnams and other “afflicted” girls, was a major force behind the accusations. Pastor Samuel Parris, who preached about the Devil’s work, was a driving force behind the accusations. Elizabeth “Betty” Parris and Abigail Williams, the first of the “afflicted” girls, began having unexplained fits in January 1692 after experimenting with fortune-telling and were diagnosed as possessed.

Tituba, a Native South American slave owned by Parris, was the first to be accused of witchcraft by Betty and Abigail. She confessed and accused others, first naming Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. Parris refused to pay her jailing costs, so she spent thirteen months in jail before someone else paid for her. Her fate after being released is unknown.