Part of the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials was that the disputes among the citizens of Salem had more to do with landgrabbing, personal conflicts, and problems with those who behaved outside of the norm than with genuine belief that Satan chose Salem as his personal playground. However much those involved tried to cloak their actions in moral righteousness, the fact was that what happened stemmed from everyday human greed and pettiness. Note, for example, in Mather's description of Martha Carrier's trial, how often he remarks upon Carrier's abrasive personality and the "differences" the witnesses commonly have with her--including Abbot's dispute involving land. So how did things get so out of control? The Puritan world view, in which God and the supernatural directly insert themselves into our world, and in which God had made the Puritans His chosen people, created a context within which claims of witchcraft had to be taken seriously--not to do so would essentially invalidate a fundamental precept of Puritanism--and acted upon. Witnesses who claimed witchcraft would know exactly what the potential consequences of that claim would be.
Martha Carrier's Headstone
The trials ultimately made the Puritans look old, tired, irrelevant and mean-spirited. By 1692 science had made a significant impact upon the world-view of humans, and events that had once seemed mysterious or supernatural now had rational, quantifiable explanations. In such a world Puritanical claims of New England being the "devil's territories," as Mather puts it, seemquaint and harmless--until those presumptions about the world lead to the executions of dozens of people at the hands of judges who themselves did not necessarily believe witchcraft had anything to do with what was going on.
Cotton Mather
When reading Mather, it's important to try to tease out the assumptions about the world that allow him make the assertions that he makes. It's tempting to dismiss Mather as a loon for believing what he believes, but his view is consistent with Puritan beliefs. It would also be a serious mistake to dismiss Mather as ignorant. The fact was that Mather was a voracious reader, including scientific texts (remember that the Puritans placed a great deal of value in literacy and knowledge), and was one of the most formidable thinkers in our history. His text on Wonders of the Invisible World is not the ramblings of some crank wearing an aluminum hat. It's an exercise of powerful logic--of reason--that's operating within a particular spiritual and philosophical world view. We can miss the logic because we would likely dismiss the underpinning world view.
Cotton Mather was a prominent minister in Boston, Massachusetts, who became closely involved in the Salem witch trials. Although he was not a trial judge, he worked in conjunction with his father, to root out witches who were doing the work of the devil in New England. Cotton Mather thought that witches were not possessed by spirits, but that they were agents of the devil. Although he was very well versed he was capable of deep superstition, even ignorance, in religious matters. According to Mather, witches had been sent as divine judgment against a sinful people. Therefore, witches—or sin—had to be destroyed before the Puritans could fulfill their destiny as "a people of God" in America.
ReplyDeleteIn The Wonders of the Invisible World, he defended the Salem trials in religious terms, with biblical references to support his view of the Puritan mission in the New World. According to him, the devil was trying "all sorts of methods to overturn this poor plantation, the Puritan colony." Yet Mather saw this as a special challenge: once the Puritans were rid of the witches in their midst, God would bless them with eternal happiness.
I have to agree with Barb. Mather's impressive education, does not exempt him from being "ignorant" or "superstituous." It seems he may have even realized his error as in one of his statements he tries to diminish his role in the deaths, and even panders to the victim's families."For my own part I was not present at any of them; nor ever had I personal prejudice at the persons thus brought upon the stage; much less at the surviving relations of those persons with and for whom I would be as hearty a mourner as any man living in the world" The Lord comfort them!"
ReplyDeleteAlso--how did the Puritan's reconcile their acts of intervention of evil so to speak, with their views on predestination? If God had all power, and had already determined what was going to happen, why would he need their help in fighting a few "alleged" witches? It makes very little sense to me. This is why I think the notion of these "men" having other motives is very likely.
The witchcraft hysteria seizes upon the young girls’ allegations, in order to channel two factors: Puritan authorities’ fear of loss of control and public resentment arising from greed, compounded by decades of struggle.
ReplyDeleteThe witchcraft trials occurred at a time when the Puritans could see their world slipping away. It had been a half century since the Great Migration, and the strong religious motivation and memories of oppression in England had faded. While some retained the depth of Puritan faith, others were less committed, a feeling compounded by their struggles and lack of success. Making an example of those who seemed to violate the Puritan principles of serving God through “Christian charity” was a way of attempting to maintain control and dissuade any who had begun to question the church or the principles of community.
I don’t disagree that Mather was not a crank, but in reading all of his case studies that follow “Wonders of the Invisible World,” (http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/Bur4Nar.html) it’s interesting to note that he doesn’t tell both sides of the story, totally ignoring any statements made by the defendants (Martha Carrier’s are referred to in footnote 11 of our text) and any evidence presented on the defendants’ behalf. His work was an “authorized” version; printing of other works on the subject was banned by the Governor, which seems to bear out the desperation of those clinging to the Puritan beliefs. Another indication of this is the fact that the only individuals executed are those who refused to confess; those who confessed were spared, no doubt with the thought that they could be brought back into the fold and thus saved from Satan. And the judges didn’t seem to “get” that many of those accused were intelligent enough to catch on to this and falsely confess.
Despite this effort to maintain conformity, the witch trials must actually have been responsible for driving multitudes away from the faith. Those accused witches had families and friends who, along with the more rational thinkers, must have been horrified and disillusioned. Mather’s “Wonders” would reinforce this view of an alliance between the two. It stands to reason that those most affected by the trials would shy away from the church: the tragic situation begot increased rationality and lessened adherence to Puritan principles.
I think that Mather seems a bit wary about writing this piece. He claims that “having received a command so to do” this recounting of events, he has no other affiliation with the trials. He is simply recording the “truths” of Martha Carrier’s trial, detaching himself from participation.
ReplyDeleteBefore writing about the witch trial, the author spends a few pages of introduction on quoting the bible and explaining the relationship between the devil and his witches. It seems he believes that women have a sort of contract with Satan: “they have signed unto a book, which the devil showed them. And engaged in his hellish design of bewitching and ruining the land” (page 511). This follows the Puritan belief that other powers (like God and Satan) interact within our world.
I like what Teri said about the witch trials being “responsible for driving multitudes away from the faith.” It’s easy to think that everyone was against the women who were accused, but these “witches” certainly had family and friends who loved them and challenged the absurdity of the allegations. Spending so much time and thought on witch trials eventually led the Puritans to think more reasonably. At first, individuals may feel strongly about a particular issue but, upon later reflection, learn from their experience and initial opinions.
I don't know which way Mather wants to go with these trials. If he is for them or against them. He did not want part of the accused deaths. I can't believe some of the things that people were accused of and said to be witches.
ReplyDeleteAfter Mathers explains about the work of the Devil upon women, it would appear that he did not want much connection to the Salem Witchcraft Trails. "I was not present at any of them; nor had I any personal prejudice at the persons," (page 511) and, "I report matters not as an advocate, but as an historian," (page 512) shows me that he did not want to be associated with them. And, if not having seen the line, "But having received a command..." I would have found this piece to be a contradiction of what was previously stated.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting, is that Mathers appears to want no part of the Trails, yet the notes he has taken are, in my opinion, very good. I would have thought that he would have been more carless if he did in fact not want to take him. Which brings about another question, what made Mathers take the accounts? It would have had to have been more than just a “command”.
I really liked the references to Satan choosing Salem as his personal playground because it seems so true from what he wrote. It's almost as if everything bad that could happen to a community did happen to Salem, in terms of the witchcraft trials. To make matters worse and from what I remember reading, Mathers is torn between what he wants to do and what side he wants to take and it doesn't help matters either. It made me wonder if whether or not he truly cared about what was going on. Sure, someone such as himself, with the intelligence and extensive education that he had should be regarded as someone that should have been trusted and relied upon...but, he was someone that actually went out himself and attempted to hunt down witches.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm going to mention the Puritans again because I wasn't sure with the reference to the Puritans becoming mean-spirited, tired, old, and irrelevant. I viewed that as maybe the Puritans were just tired of all the trouble that was affecting their community and they just simply wanted to be done with it. Also, it would be understandable for the Puritans to think that way. With their strong religious views of God hanging in the balance, the last thing they wanted was the thought of Satan to start making its way around the community and affecting the wellness of every individual.