Salem Witch Trials Live On Through "The Crucible"

 

Arthur Miller

In 1950, Arthur Miller began writing a play about the Salem witch trials called “The Crucible“. In 1953, the play appeared on Broadway. Through this play Miller was able to connect the past with the present. When Arthur Miller wrote “The Crucible,” he had an alternative motive other than just to entertain. During the 1950’s, the U.S. was struggling to prevent communism in the Cold War. Communist spies were implanted all over the U.S. transmitting valuable information to our enemy. An American politician by the name Joseph McCarthy, claimed to have a list of 200 known communists within the government. He never really had any evidence, but managed to make numerous accusations. Some of which conveniently turned out to be true. However, his accusations of people in high positions eventually led to his down fall. Joseph McCarthy’s scheme is referred to today as McCarthyism. Does McCarthyism ring a bell? It should, because the Salem witch trials happened for the same reason McCarthyism did. In Midge Decter’s commentary over “The Crucible”, it states, “Arthur Miller found in the hysteria that overtook Salem a useful parallel to America's preoccupation with the activities and influence of the country's alleged Communists” ( Decter 1). I find humor in Miller’s discovery that both Joseph McCarthy and the people of Salem were on “witch-hunts”. This is Miller’s ultimate reason for writing a play over the Salem witch trials. He used his play as a mockery of McCarthyism. He was simply making fun of current events while connecting them to the past. So you see, the past has a way of making it into the future. It also has a way of reoccurring in different forms as we have seen. Keep your eyes out for the next extreme religion, or reoccurring event to take place in your lifetime.

 

Decter, Midge. "The Crucible." Commentary 103.3 (1997): 54+. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 5 May. 2011.

 

"Playwright Arthur Miller wrote successful plays such as Death of a Salesman and The Crucible." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 6: 1950-1959. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 5 May. 2011.

 

Where Did The Puritans Originate From?

King James hearing the petitions of the Puritans.

After such an event, you wonder where did these crazy Puritans come from in the first place? Well, they were originally members of Protestant groups in England that opposed practices of the Church of England under King James the first. During this time many people disagreed with practices of the church, and decided to branch off on their own. Thus creating the Protestant group. King James saw this as a problem. In the document, PAPISTS, POWER, AND PURITANS: CATHOLIC OFFICEHOLDING AND THE RISE OF THE "PURITAN FACTION", it states, " Extreme Protestantism (in the form of Puritanism) was discouraged" ( Hankins 1). As a result of the disapproval, King James along with his successor Charles the first, forced the Puritans to leave England. The religious group traveled through many European countries before arriving in New England  in 1620. According to the document, Which Hunts in Puritan New England, Puritans calling themselves the Pilgrims founded the Plymouth colony in Massachusetts with hopes of establishing their vision of God's Kingdom on Earth ( Witch Craft in America 1). All the Puritans had intense faith in themselves as God's "chosen people." They also absorbed European superstitions of witchcraft and the inferiority of women, which became crucial factors in the "witch" persecutions. So there you have it. The crazy Puritans originated from England, and managed to create a society of extreme worship in New England.

Hankins, Jeffery R. "PAPISTS, POWER, AND PURITANS: CATHOLIC OFFICEHOLDING AND THE RISE OF THE "PURITAN FACTION" IN EARLY-SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY ESSEX." Catholic Historical Review 95.4 (2009): 689-717. World History Collection. EBSCO. Web. 3 May 2011.

image:

"King James I hearingthe petitions of Puritans." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: Government and Politics. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 May. 2011.

"Witch-Hunts in Puritan New England." Witchcraft in America. Ed. Peggy Saari and Elizabeth Shaw. Vol. 1. Detroit: UXL, 2001. 19-32. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 May. 2011.

Pointing Fingers

In the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, resides reverend Parris and his family. Unfortunately for him, the cause of the beginning of the Salem witch trials can be traced down to his very own daughter and niece, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams. Around the time of 1692, the two girls came down with a strange illness. A doctor was called upon to examine them, but could not find anything physically wrong. For this reason and the lack of psychological knowledge, the doctor was convinced they were bewitched. In the American Era’s document, “The Salem Witch Trials”, it states, “the witchcraft hysteria of 1692 reflected deep anxieties among Puritans” (American Era’s 1). Since Puritans believed in the devil, it is of no surprise that fear and anxiety were provoked from the doctor’s diagnosis. In the book, Witchcraft at Salem, by Chadwick Hansen, he points out, “the persons who thought the afflicted girls to be under bodily disorders, let it affect their imagination” (Hansen 6). Once the word gets out about the girls’ diagnosis, there will be no stopping the imaginations and the pointing fingers of those who believe it. When questioned about who afflicted them, Elizabeth and Abigail effortlessly pointed their fingers at Tibuta, the Parris family slave. They also accused two women by thenames of Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. These last two women supposedly hadn’t been to church in over a year, which was a sin in Puritan eyes. This was just the beginning. Other girls caught on to Elizabeth’s and Abigail’s situation, and began pointing their fingers too. As a result, Tituba was jailed and later sold to pay off her jail fees. More than 200 people were accused, and 19 were executed including Sarah Good.

book:
Hansen, Chadwick. Witches at Salem. New York: George Braziller Inc, 1969.print.

 

"The Salem Witch Trials." American Eras. Vol. 2: The Colonial Era, 1600-1754. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 268-269. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 21 Apr. 2011.

Puritanism; Religion of the Salem colony

Puritans holding a woman on trial for witchery.

Looking into the religion of the inhabitants of Salem, Massachusetts, provides us with a greater understanding of why these preposterous events were made possible. Over time, I have became aware of many intense religions that people choose to follow. Did you know that there is a group of Christian believers that handle snakes? I’ve also discovered a Muslim religion in India that practices the tradition of throwing newborn babies off the side of a temple. The babies are caught in a sheet, and believed to be strengthened and blessed with good luck. So you see, the extremity of such religions can give acceptance to bizarre actions. Perry Miller, in his documentary about Puritans and Puritanism, explains the religion and how it came about. Miller writes,” Puritans were men of intense piety who took literally and seriously the doctrines of original sin and salvation by faith" (Miller 1). Needless to say the name of their religion defines them well. Miller reveals that the Puritans considered themselves as the godly, and this they took to extreme. The trials will show, Puritans in the 1600’s were very influential, and quick to make accusations. Without much contact to people outside the Salem colony, who was to tell them that their accusations were wrong? In Laurie Carlson’s book, “A fever in Salem”, she points out, “People of all cultures and ages create explanations for phenomena they do not understand” (Ainsworth 1). I find Carlson’s accusation to be true, and this will be revealed when we take a look at the cause of the trials in my next blog post.

 

Scholarly Journal:

Ainsworth, Matthew F. "WITCH FEVER (book)." Skeptic 9.3 (2002): 91. Religion and Philosophy Collection. EBSCO. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.

 

Electronic Source:

Miller, Perry. "Puritans and Puritanism." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 6. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 555-557. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.

 

Image: 

"The Duckingstool by Charles Stanley Reinhart." History in Context: U.S. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 15 Apr. 2011.

Witchcraft

When the word witchcraft comes to mind, most people think of evil women flying on broom sticks and casting spells turning people into frogs, but it is so much more than that. Witchcraft is a practice that has been around for many centuries, and it has made its mark in our literature and cultural traditions today. It is also still practiced around the world in many forms. So the question arises, do I believe in witchcraft? I believe in witchcraft to some extent, but I draw the line when it comes to having miraculous magical powers. There is only so much I can sanely let myself believe in. Growing up, I was a big fan of movies like Hocus Pocus, Double Double Toil and Trouble, and Practical Magic. So it is to no surprise that I am doing a blog over witchcraft. My main focus is going to be on the Salem witchcraft trials that took place in the 1600’s in Salem, Massachusetts. Throughout the blog we will explore many aspects of how and why these trials took place. It is amazing and will be to your benefit to find out how such a thing like witchcraft can put a major dent in our history books.