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Salem Witch Trials Lesson Plan

Centrai Historical Question:What caused the Salem Witch Crisis of 1692?

Materials:e Copies of Salem Summary Information• Copies of Salem Evidence A, B, C, 0•. Copies of Salem Graphic Organizer

Plan of Instruction:

1. Introduction: Ask students what they know about the Salem Witch trials. Putstudent answers on board.

2. Hand out Salem Summary information and have a student read it out loud.

Whole class discussion:

• Why do you think the people of Salem believed the girls' accusations ofwitchcraft?

e Even if the people of Salem truly believed in witchcraft, why would therebe so many accusations all at once, all of a sudden?

3. TRANSITION: We're going to look at some pieces of evidence that might helpus answer the question: What caused the Salem witch crisis of 1692?

4. Hand out Salem Evidence A, B, C, 0, and Graphic Organizer. Have studentscomplete ONLY THE TOP CHART FOR EVIDENCE A & B in pairs.

5. Debrief:

e What type of document is Evidence A?e What type of document is Evidence B?f) Based on these two documents, why did the people of Salem believe the

girls' testimony?

6. Introduce Evidence C & 0: Explain that these two pieces of evidence tell us alittle more about the HISTORICAL CONTEXT-in other words, what washappening in Salem at this time. Have students complete the graphicorganizer in pairs.

7. Debrief:

f) Discuss Evidence C & 0:

Salem Witch Trials

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o What else was happening in 1692?o Why might economic concerns have contributed to the witch

crisis?

e How does the information in Documents C & D change your view ofwhat caused the Salem witchcraft crisis?

Gl Ask students to share their paragraphs.

Citations:

Testimony of Abigail Hobbs, April 19, 1692, in Verbatim Transcripts ofthe LegalDocuments of the Salem Witchcraft Outbreak of 1692, ed. Paul Boyer and StephenNissenbaum. http://testetext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-salemname?specfile=/texts/english/salem/public/salem.o2w&act=text&offset=3207915&textreg=div3&query=hobabi

Cotton Mather, "Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions," fromA Discourse on Witchcraft, (Boston, 1689), pp. 4-9.http://books.google.com/books?pg=RA2-PA2&lpg=RA2-PA2&dq=mather+%22discourse+on+witchcraft%22&sig=rwWdjDW94kUMgnTViV3JCVGZbjo&ei=dGV4SrDGHYWotgPOy9DwBA&ct=result&id=719hAAAAMAAJ&ots=4kzbg3HNPb&output=text

Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum. Salem Possessed: The Social Origins ofWitchcraft. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1974.

© Copyright 2009. Avishag Reisman and Bradley Fogo.

Salem Witch Trials

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Salem Witch Crisis: Summary

The Salem witchcraft crisis began during the winter of 1691-1692, in Salem Village, Massachusetts, when Betty Parris, the nine-year-old daughter of the village's minister, Samuel Parris, and hisniece, Abigail Williams, fell strangely ill. The girls complained ofpinching, prickling sensations, knifelike pains, and the feeling of beingchoked. In the weeks that followed, three more girls showed similarsymptoms.

Reverend Parris and several doctors began to suspect thatwitchcraft was responsible for the girls' behavior. They pressed thegirls to name the witches who were tormenting them. The girlsnamed three women, who were then arrested. The third accused wasParris's Indian slave, Tituba. Under examination, Tituba confessed tobeing a witch, and testified that four women and a man were causingthe girls' illness.

The girls continued to accuse people of witchcraft, includingsome respectable church members. The new accused witches joinedTituba and the other two women in jail.

The accused faced a difficult situation. If they confessed towitchcraft, they could escape death but would have to provide detailsof their crimes and the names of other participants. On the otherhand, it was very difficult to prove one's innocence. The Puritansbelieved that witches knew magic and could send spirits to torturepeople. However, the visions of torture could only be seen by thevictims.· The afflicted girls and women were often kept in thecourtroom as evidence while the accused were examined. If theyscreamed and claimed thatthe accused witch wastorturing them, the judgewould have to believe theirvisions, even if the accusedwitch was not doing anythingvisible to the girls.

Between June andOctober, twenty people wereconvicted of witchcraft andkilled and more than ahundred suspected witchesremained in jail.

Salem Witch Trials

Salem Evidence A: "Discourse on Witchcraft" (ORIGINAL)

In the speech be/ow, Cotten Mather, an influential leader of the Puritans, arguesfor the existence of witchcraft (1688).

It should next be proved THA T Witchcraft is.

The being of such a thing is denied by many that place a great part of their smallwit in deriding the stories that are told of it. Their chief argument is that theynever saw any witches, therefore there are none. Just as if you or I should say,we never met with any robbers on the road, therefore there never was anypadding there ....

[T]here are especially two demonstrations that evince the being of that infernalmysterious thing. First. We have the testimony of scripture for it. Secondly. Wehave the testimony of experience for it. ... Many witches have ... confessedand shown their deeds. We see those things done that it is impossible anydisease or any deceit should procure.

Source: Cotton Mather, "Memorable Providences relating to Witch crafts andPossessions," from A Discourse on Witchcraft, (Boston, 1689), pp. 4-9. CottonMather was one of the most influential religious leaders in America at the time.

Salem Witch Trials

Salem Evidence 8: Testimony of Abigail Hobbs (ORIGINAL)

Below is the testimony of a teenager accused of witchcraft, Abigail Hobbs, onApri/19, 1692.

The Examination of Abigail Hobbs, at Salem Village, 19 April, 1692, by JohnHawthorn and Jonath. Corwin, Esqs., and Assistants.

[Judge:] Abig. Hobbs, you are brought before Authority to answer to sundry actsof witchcraft, committed by you against and upon the bodies of many, of whichseveral persons now accuse you. What say you? Are you guilty, or not? Speakthe truth.

[Abigail Hobbs:] I will speak the truth. I have seen sights and been scared. Ihave been very wicked. I hope I shall be better, if God will help me.

[Judge:] What sights did you see?

[Abigail Hobbs:] I have seen dogs and many creatures.

[Judge:] What dogs do you mean, ordinary dogs?

[Abigail Hobbs:] I mean the Devil.

[Judge:] How often, many times?

[Abigail Hobbs:] But once.

[Judge:] What would he have you do?

[Abigail Hobbs:] Why, he would have me be a witch.

[Judge:] Would he have you make a covenant with him?

[Abigail Hobbs:] Yes.

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I Salem Evidence A: "Discourse on Witchcraft" (Modified)

In the speech below, Cotten Mather, an influential leader of the Puritans, arguesfor the existence of witchcraft:

I will prove that Witchcraft exists. Those who deny it exists argue that theynever saw any witches, therefore there are none. That would be as if youor I said: We never met any robbers, therefore there are none.

I have two pieces of evidence that witchcraft exists: First, the Scripturementions witchcraft. Secondly, many people have experienced the horrorsof witchcraft.

Source: Cotton Mather, "Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions,"from A Discourse on Witchcraft, (Boston, 1689), pp. 4-9. Cotton Mather was one of themost influential religious leaders in America at the time.

Salem Evidence B: Testimony of Abigail Hobbs (Modified)

Below is the testimony of a teenager accused of witchcraft, Abigail Hobbs, onApril 19, 1692.

Judge: Abigail Hobbs, you are brought before Authority to answer to various actsof witchcraft. What say you? Are you guilty, or not? Speak the truth.

Abigail Hobbs: I will speak the truth. I have seen sights and been scared. I havebeen very wicked. I hope I shall be better, if God will help me.

Judge: What sights did you see?

Abigail Hobbs: I have seen the Devil.

Judge: How often, many times?

Abigail Hobbs: But once.

Judge: What would he have you do?

Abigail Hobbs: Why, he would have me be a witch.

Judge: Would he have you make a covenant with him?

Abigail Hobbs: Yes.

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I Salem Evidence C: Chart of Family Farms

Average Size of Family Farms in Salem Village, 1640~1700

Average Size of Family Farms in SalemVillage, 1640-1700 (in acres)

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I Salem Evidence 0: Map of Salem Village

The map below depicts Salem Vii/age (on the left/west) and Salem Town (on therighUeast). Most people in Salem Village were farmers, whereas most people inSalem Town were merchants and townspeople. The residents of Salem Vii/agehad to pay taxes to Salem Town. The map shows that most of the people whomade accusations were from Salem Vii/age.

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Name------What caused the Salem Witch Crisis of 1692?

What is it? According to this document, why did(Describe this the people of Salem believe the girls'piece of accusations?evidence)

SalemEvidence

A

SalemEvidence

B

What is it? According to this document, what was(Describe this happening economically in Salem inpiece of evidence) 1692?

SalemEvidence

C

SalemEvidence

0

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Using information from all 4 pieces of evidence, write a paragraph in thespace below that best answers the question:

What caused the Salem Witch Trials of 1692?

ISalem Witch Trials