Lecture_14--HIST_33_F24_

Lecture Overview

  • Title: Lecture 14 George Burroughs and the "Eastward"

Geographic Context

  • Casco Bay, Maine: Location relevant to Burroughs’ story.

  • Salem: Important town associated with the witch trials and Burroughs' later life.

George Burroughs

  • Background:

    • Harvard-educated, non-ordained clergyman.

    • In 1674, moved to Casco Bay, Maine, to serve the English community in Falmouth.

  • Challenges:

    • Conflict with Wabanakis led to displacement of many English settlers.

    • Some, including Burroughs, eventually sought refuge in Salem Village.

Burroughs in Salem

  • Ministry in Salem (1680-1683):

    • Replaced unpopular Deodat Lawson as Salem Village minister.

    • Faced disdain from villagers; by 1682, they refused to pay his salary.

    • Returned to Falmouth in 1683, which was protected by Fort Loyal.

    • Deodat Lawson served as chaplain during conflicts with the Wabanakis in 1688.

  • Community Impact:

    • Children like Abigail Hobbs and Mercy Lewis were part of the Salem community during this period.

Witchcraft Accusations

  • Emergence of Charges:

    • Notable increase in accusations against Burroughs leading to Salem witch trials.

    • Abigail Hobbs’ confession in April 1692 brought attention to Burroughs.

    • Thomas Putnam's daughter identified Burroughs as a chief specter shortly after Hobbs’ confession.

    • Mercy Lewis worked as a servant for Putnam, linking her to the accusations.

The Cambridge Association

  • Meeting Details:

    • On August 1, a crucial meeting of eight ministers at Harvard led by Increase Mather addressed witchcraft.

    • Conclusions drawn included:

      • Spectral evidence could be considered probative.

      • The Devil might impersonate innocent individuals with divine permission.

      • Civil authorities were considered to be outside the Devil’s deceptions.

Key Figures in Context

  • Increase Mather:

    • Harvard-educated pastor of Boston's North Church.

    • President of Harvard University.

  • Samuel Willard:

    • Pastor of Third Church in Boston.

    • Followed Mather as Harvard president and later opposed the witch hunt.

Reason for Targeting Burroughs

  • Contextual Factors:

    • Survived violence of Anglo-Wabenaki warfare affecting many, including relatives of Mercy Lewis.

    • Accused of possessing superhuman strength; warlike imagery associated with accusations.

    • Perception of the Devil as an embodiment resembling Native Americans.

  • Philosophical Climate:

    • Response to Thomas Hobbes's materialist challenge to witchcraft belief detailed in "Leviathan" (1651).

    • Influence of Increase and Cotton Mather advocating against Hobbes's philosophy; needed to prove the reality of witches and the Devil.

    • Burroughs met criteria as a questionable clergyman undermining moral obligations.

Cotton Mather's Work

  • Involvement:

    • Harvard-educated minister who worked alongside Increase Mather.

    • Defended the witch trials in his publication "Wonders of the Invisible World" (1693).

Textual Analysis

  • Mather's "Wonders of the Invisible World":

    • Title: The Wonders of the Invisible World

    • Descriptions of trials, notable occurrences, and observations about the nature of witchcraft, more specifically related to Burroughs and his accusations.

Legacy of Thomas Hobbes

  • Hobbes:

    • Author of "Leviathan" (1651), critiqued conventional beliefs in witchcraft and supernatural occurrences.