Colonial America

Interpreting Salem

Dr. Kane

mkane2@albany.edu Social Science 116 | MWF 12:35-1:30 PM

Office Hrs: M 10:20 - 11:20 & F 1:30 - 3:30 Social Science 60S

Friday, October 27

coming up

• Final proposals - Nov 3
• Locations paper - Nov 17
• check the Blackboard syllabus

today's class

• your papers!
• medical explanations
• gender
• religion
• politics

your papers!

• your name
• your topic
• what's the major disagreement

ergot poisoning

• pro: symptoms match some of the accuser's symptoms
• pro: weather conditions favorable
• con: missing major symptoms - "bite" marks
• con: demographics of affected accusers

viral encephalitis

• pro: symptoms match some of the accuser's symptoms
• pro: weather conditions favorable
• con: missing major symptoms - seizures, screaming
• con: demographics of affected accusers

mass hysteria

• pro: common social group
• con: missing major symptoms
• con: lasted much longer than other incidents

confessions

• Tituba: first confession
• connection to slave rebellions
• confessed after sleep deprivation, lack of food, and torture
• protestations of innocence taken as proof of guilt

hocus pocus

gender

• girls' amusement?
• accused women did not fit gender roles: too authoritative, uncharitable, unruly
• women are easy to corrupt, need to be led by men
• accused men did not fit gender roles: abusive, drunk, angry
• corrupted men are more dangerous

God's wrath

• Maine frontier war - Wabanaki success
• Puritan refugees flooding Massachusetts towns
• accusations primarily against people affiliated with Maine leaders

religious divisions

• George Burroughs: radical dissenter - adult baptism, Indian missions
• Burroughs: minister in Maine, in debt to Maine refugees
• Samuel Parris: too "Catholic," took sides
• Salem Village parish vs. Salem Town parish

local politics

• city debt and property seizures
• Putnam v. Parris/Porter property disputes
• Salem Village v. Salem Town split
• Parris' slave Tituba and Parris' exclusion from government

aftermath

• 5 years later: day of atonement
• 20 years later: Mass Assembly paid restitution to families
• 2001: witches formally pardoned
• parallel with Lepore: "irrational" events have underlying causes