Sarah Good, a melancholic woman from Salem, Massachusetts, was accused of witchcraft by her daughter Abigail Williams. She was one of the first three women to be executed in the 1692 Salem witch trials, along with Tituba, Parris’s Indian slave. Good, a beggar and mother, was accused of rejecting the puritanical expectations of self-control and discipline when she chose to torment and “scorn” children instead of leading them towards the path of salvation.
Good was tried for witchcraft on March 25, 1692, after being identified as a witch by Tituba. She remained in Boston until June 28, when she was officially indicted on multiple charges of “certain detestable arts called witchcraft”. Good stood trial, accused of practicing witchcraft, and was subsequently convicted. On July 19, 1692, she was led to Proctor’s Ledge for execution.
Tituba, Parris’s Indian slave, was also charged with witchcraft. Good confessed and identified more witches from Salem. Good was the first to testify in the Salem Witchcraft trials, and her reputation as a socially disagreeable, disadvantaged down-and-out made her an easy target for a witchcraft conviction.
Sarah Good, born on 11 July 1655, was one of the first three women to be executed after being found guilty of witchcraft in the Salem Witch trials. She stood trial, accused of practicing witchcraft, and was subsequently convicted. On July 19, 1692, she was led to Proctor’s Ledge for execution.
In summary, Sarah Good, a melancholic woman, was one of the first three women to be executed in the 1692 Salem witch trials. Her testimony and her reputation as a socially disagreeable and disadvantaged down-and-out made her an easy target for a witchcraft conviction.
📹 What really happened during the Salem Witch Trials – Brian A. Pavlac
Dig into how the infamous Salem Witch Trials began and why they remain a cautionary tale of the dangers of groupthink and …
What was the mental illness in the Salem witch trials?
In 1943, pediatrician Ernest Caulfield proposed that the Salem witch trials were caused by hysteria, a psychological illness characterized by excess emotion and unusual physical manifestations. Marion L. Starkey’s account of the witch trials of 1692, The Devil in Massachusetts, explains how the incident began with an illness among the village’s female children and teenage girls. Betty, a daughter of Reverend Parris, was struck with symptoms such as forgetfulness, motionlessness, starring, rigidity, screaming, babbling, and making choking sounds. Abigail, Betty’s cousin, caught the affliction as if by contagion, and as the news spread, so did the contagion.
As the afflicted girls succumbed to the malady, a circle of awed watchers gathered around each villager to provide aid, straighten out twisted limbs, and hold the victim back from leaping into the fire. After Mary Sibley baked a witch cake of rye meal and urine of the afflicted and fed it to a dog, the girls began to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft, leading to accusations against 200 people and the hanging of 19 people.
Throughout the witch trials, the hallucinations, convulsions, and strange behavior of the girls persisted, with the prevailing explanation being that they were victims of witchcraft. Later, historians suggested they were faking their illness, a troubling conclusion considering the horrible repercussions of their behavior.
What happened to Sarah Good’s daughter?
Sarah Good, born in 1653, was a well-off innkeeper but faced financial difficulties due to her father’s estate being tied up in litigation. Her first marriage to a poor servant, Daniel Poole, was doomed to failure, and her second marriage to William Good was also doomed. The Goods were homeless, renting rooms in other people’s houses and having two young children. Good’s reputation for being socially unpleasant spread throughout the town, making her a perfect candidate for witchcraft accusations.
On February 29, 1692, the first warrant was issued for the arrest of Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba. They were accused of afflicting Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, and later many other accusers testified about injurious actions and spectral evidence against Good. Good was the first to testify in the Salem Witchcraft trials, and her husband, William Good, believed she was close to becoming a witch. Good adamantly denied Magistrate John Hathorne’s accusations, stating that she did not harm the children but scorned it. Good’s infant died in prison with her before her execution on July 19, 1692.
Why did the witch hate Dorothy?
In the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz, Margaret Hamilton portrays the Wicked Witch of the West as a green-skinned witch dressed in a long black dress with a black pointed hat. This representation of the Wicked Witch has become a standard for what witches resemble and an archetype of human wickedness. In the movie, the Witch is the sister of the Wicked Witch of the East and appears earlier and more often than in Baum’s original novel.
She demands the Munchkins reveal who killed her sister, and she actively seeks revenge against Dorothy for killing her sister. However, when reminded of the ruby slippers, her interest in her sister’s death vanishes, and she focuses on obtaining her slippers to conquer Oz.
The Wicked Witch is more menacing than her literary counterpart, making Dorothy too afraid to lose her temper with her. She makes sure that Dorothy knows her power when Dorothy meets the Scarecrow by throwing a ball of fire at them. Before Dorothy and her friends reach the Emerald City, the Witch casts a sleeping spell over a field of poppies, which Glinda remotely counteracts with snowfall. The Wizard demands the destruction of the Witch in exchange for granting the wishes of Dorothy and her companions.
Hamilton’s other role in this film is the Witch’s Kansas sepia tone counterpart, Miss Almira Gulch, created for the film by screenwriter Noel Langley. Gulch is a socialite who owns half the county and seeks to have Dorothy’s dog Toto taken to the sheriff and destroyed after being bitten. Miss Gulch takes Toto away in her basket, but he escapes. In the tornado scene, Dorothy sees Miss Gulch on her bicycle transform into a Wicked Witch flying on a broom.
Gale Sondergaard was originally cast as the Wicked Witch of the West, but withdrew from the role when the witch’s persona shifted from sly and glamorous to the familiar “ugly hag”.
What does Mary say Sarah confessed to?
Mary Warren enters town, and Proctor threatens to whip her for disobeying his order not to go to town that day. Mary gives Elizabeth a poppet she sewed during court proceedings, which Elizabeth accepts. Proctor asks if it’s true that fourteen people are in jail, but Mary tells him that now thirty-nine are: Goody Osburn has been convicted and will hang, while Sarah Good confessed to witchcraft and saved herself. Hysteria feeds itself, as people have confessed to non-existent witchcraft.
Sarah Good’s confession was the only way for her to save herself, as the Fifth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution is designed to eliminate forced confessions. Proctor dismisses Sarah Good as a “jabberer”, but Mary reveals that Good had tried to kill her in the past. Judge Hathorne asked Sarah Good what she mumbled, and she claimed she was reciting the Ten Commandments.
What happened to Tituba in real life?
Tituba, one of the first accused in the Salem witch hunts, spent over a year in jail before being released after a trial. The jury did not indict her, and she disappeared from the historical record. Her fate remains unknown, and her involvement in the witch hunts remains a topic of interest in various historical contexts, including religion, science, technology, survival, relationships, wars, motors, and biography.
Why did Sarah Osborne get accused of witchcraft?
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of events that occurred in the 17th century, with many accused of breaking social norms and disrupting property patterns. Osborne, who was accused of fornicating with Alexander, was seen as breaking the tradition of family alliances in Salem, denying her two sons wealth and social position. The Putnam family’s economic stability grew less secure by Osborne’s attempt at economic independence.
Osborne is mentioned in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible but does not appear as a character. In the 1996 film adaptation, she is portrayed as a pathetic and deranged beggar, aware of her grave danger. Her movie depiction may be a composite character of Osborne and Sarah Good, who was known to mutter and insist on reciting the Ten Commandments.
The Salem Witch Trials were a significant event in American history, with many people believing that Osborne broke the established patterns of property and violated the traditions of family alliances. The Putnam family likely accused Osborne of causing economic instability in the town.
The Salem Witch Trials have been a subject of interest in various historical accounts, including those of Samuel Parris, who was accused of witchcraft and attempting to break the rules of the Puritan religion.
Why was Sarah Wildes accused of witchcraft?
Sarah Averill Wildes was a 36-year-old herbalist who married John Wildes, causing rumors of witchcraft among his first wife’s family. In 1649, she was tried for intimate relations with Thomas Wordell, leading to a sentence of whipped. In 1663, she was charged with wearing a red scarf. However, her real crime was marrying her husband, John Wildes, within five months of his wife’s death, which led to rumors of witchcraft. In 1683, John Wildes testified against Lieutenant Gould in his treason trial, and he was found guilty of uttering malicious treasonable and seditious speeches.
Upon returning to Ipswitch, Mary Gould Reddington, Lieutenant Gould’s sister, began spreading rumors about Sarah Wildes using witchcraft. John Wildes confronted Mary Gould Reddington, who backed off, but laid the groundwork for Sarah Wildes to be charged as a witch. Sarah and John Wildes’ son, Ephraim Wildes, were also accused of witchcraft. Sarah was taken to Salem Village and examined by Justices Hawthorne and Corwin before being sent to Boston jail.
Why was Dorothy Good accused of witchcraft?
At the beginning of the Salem witch trials in 1692, Dorothy and her mother Sarah were accused of practicing witchcraft. At just four years old, Dorothy was interrogated by local magistrates and confessed to being a witch. She claimed to have seen her mother consorting with the devil. Mary Walcott and Ann Putnam Jr. claimed she was deranged and bit them as if she were an animal. Dorothy, written as “Dorcas” on the warrant for her arrest, received a brief hearing and was sent to jail, becoming the youngest person to be jailed during the trials.
Two days later, she claimed she owned a snake given to her by her mother that talked to her and sucked blood from her finger. Dorothy was in custody from March 24, 1692, until she was released on bond for £50 on December 10, 1692. She was never indicted or tried. Examinations by magistrates were conducted on March 24, 25, and 26th.
Why did the girls accuse the witches?
The reasons behind the witchcraft accusations among young girls in Puritan society are unclear, but Elizabeth Hubbard was one of the original girls to begin the accusations. She continued to be a leading accuser throughout the summer and fall of 1692. Elizabeth, like most of the other afflicted girls, was detached from her parents and family of birth and lived with her great-aunt Rachel Hubbard Griggs and her husband, town physician Dr. William Griggs.
In 1692, Elizabeth was around 17 years old, making her one of the oldest of the original set of afflicted girls. Along with Elizabeth Parris, Abby Williams, and Anne Putnam, Elizabeth started the accusations with claims of being tortured by specters of certain community members. Carol Karlsen’s research suggests that many of the accusing girls may have behaved as they did due to the uncertainty of their future as orphans. Most of the girls had no monetary or emotional support from direct family members, and the frontier wars had left their father’s estates considerably diminished.
Elizabeth Hubbard, like most of the other accusing girls, was a servant with very dismal prospects for the future. Karlsen suggests that the afflicted used their dramatic possession performances to focus the communities’ concern on their difficulties, which allowed them to gain the respect and attention of the community.
While the exact reasons behind the witchcraft accusations remain unknown, the documents we can read provide insights into the kind of girl Elizabeth Hubbard was.
What is Mary’s evidence against Sarah Good?
Sarah Good was accused of failing to fulfill the ten commandments. Additionally, Mary Warren informed John and Elizabeth that Elizabeth’s name had been mentioned in court as a witch.
What did Sarah Good do to save herself?
During the Salem Witch Trials, Sarah Good attempted to evade execution by falsely confessing to witchcraft and implicating others in her supposed crimes.
📹 Sarah Good: Innocent Victim or Guilty Witch?
Uncover the dark and mysterious story of Sarah Good during the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts.
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