Lecture_12--HIST_033_F24

Lecture 12: The Salem Witch-Hunt - Political-Religious Backdrop

Page 1: Overview

  • Subject of lecture: Salem Witch-Hunt

Page 2: Contextual Background

  • Massachusetts as a Puritan Colony:

    • Located in the Puritan region of New England.

  • Swedish (Mora) Witch-Hunt (1669-70):

    • Involved children as afflicted individuals and accusers.

  • Decline of Witch-Hunts in Europe:

    • Notable reduction by the late 17th century.

  • Possession as a Somatic Religious Experience:

    • Encouraged by certain Protestant sects.

Page 3: Political and Religious Crisis

  • Crisis provoked by two key events:

    1. Revocation of Massachusetts Charter (1684-1691).

    2. Changes in the Puritan church during the late 17th century.

Page 4: Massachusetts Charter Revocation

  • Massachusetts Bay Colony:

    • Established in 1629 by royal charter.

  • King Charles I:

    • Issued the charter on March 4, but faced tensions with Parliament.

    • Initiated Personal Rule (1629-1640); Puritans feared restoration of Catholic liberties.

Page 5: English Civil War (1642-1651)

  • Conflict between the king and Puritans (the "godliest subjects").

  • Puritans migrated to New England to avoid divine wrath directed at England.

  • Following Charles I's arrest and execution in 1649, regicides fled to New England.

Page 6: New England During the Later Stuarts

  • Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, followed by brother James II in 1685.

  • Both sought to centralize power in the empire, targeting rebellious Puritans.

  • Creation of Dominion of New England (1686-1689).

Page 7: Salem Witch Crisis

  • Crisis emerged as the colony awaited a new charter, issued by William and Mary in 1691.

  • The charter wasn’t published until May 16, 1692, with new governor William Phips.

  • Court of Oyer and Terminer established on May 27, 1692, to hear the first witch cases.

Page 8: Changes in the Puritan Church

  • Puritanism's Demands:

    • Questions of one's elect status regarding salvation.

  • Goal to build "holy societies" in covenant with God; required church membership based on a conversion testimonial.

  • Decreased Testimonies:

    • By the second generation, fewer Puritans testified to their elect status, leading to increased non-congregational membership.

  • Influence of Jean Calvin:

    • His teachings were vital to Puritan beliefs.

Page 9: The Halfway Covenant

  • Compromise from the 1660s allowing baptism of children from non-member families.

  • Supporters termed it "large Congregationalism."

  • Critics like Samuel Parrish viewed it as religious backsliding.

Page 10: Samuel Parris’s Salem Congregation

  • Absence of Church in Salem Village:

    • Only a meetinghouse was present, led by non-ordained clergy.

  • 25 villagers opposed the Halfway Covenant which established a formal church in 1689, with Parris as the first ordained minister.

  • By late 1691, his sermons became increasingly militant, portraying the church as a battleground against the Devil.

Page 11: Perception of Satan's Designs

  • Quotes from Sermons:

    • Rev. Samuel Parris: "Christ having begun a new work... the main drift of the Devil to pull it all down." (Jan 3, 1692)

    • Rev. Deodat Lawson: "The Covenant people of God... are the special objects of SATAN’S Rage and Fury." (Mar 24, 1692)

    • William Barker Sr.: "Satan’s design was to set up his own worship, abolish all the churches... to fall next upon Salem." (Aug 29, 1692)