Name:______________________________Per:____

accused witches

Witch Hunt 1: Salem, MA & the

Letter to John Cotton (a minister in Salem), August 5, 1692:

Reverend Sir,
Our good God is working of miracles. Five witches were lately
executed, impudently demanding of God a miraculous vindication of their
innocency. Immediately upon this, our God miraculously sent in five
Andover witches, who made a most ample, surprising, amazing confession
of all their villainies, and declared the five newly executed to have been of
their company, discovering many more, but all agreeing in Burroughs
being their ringleader, who, I suppose, this day receives his trial at Salem,
whither a vast concourse of people is gone, my father this morning among
the rest. Since those, there have come in other confessors; yea, they come
in daily. About this prodigious matter my soul has been refreshed with
some little short of miraculous answers of prayer, which are not to be
written; but they comfort me with a prospect of a hopeful issue.
The whole town yesterday turned the lecture into a fast, kept in our
meeting-house; God give a good return. But in the morning we were
entertained with the horrible tidings of the late earthquake at Jamaica, on
the 7th of June last. When, on a fair day, the sea suddenly swelled, and the
earth shook and broke in many places; and in a minutes time, the rich
town of Port-Royal, the Tyrus of the whole English America, but a very
Sodom for wickedness, was immediately swallowed up, and the sea came
rolling over the town. No less than seventeen-hundred souls of that one
town are missing, besides other incredible devastations all over the island,
where houses are demolished, mountains overturned, rocks rent, and all
manner of destruction inflicted. The Non-conformist minister there escaped
wonderfully with his life. Some of our poor New England people are lost in
the ruins, and others have their bones broke. Forty vessels were sunk
-namely all whose cables did not break; but no New England ones. Behold,
an accident speaking to all our English America. I live in pains, and want
your prayers.
Bestow them, dear Sir, on Your,

1. What did the five executed witches

claim? What evidence later proved
their guilt?

2. Knowing what you do about Puritan

beliefs, what might the writer assume
about the cause of this event? What
might he assume about the people who
died in this disaster?

Name:______________________________Per:____
accused witches

Witch Hunt 1: Salem, MA & the

Letter to John Foster (a Salem resident), August 17, 1692

Sir,
You would know whether I still retain my opinion about the horrible
witchcrafts among us, and I acknowledge that I do.
I do still think that when there is no further evidence against a person but
only this, that a specter in their shape does afflict a neighbor, that evidence is
not enough to convict the [word missing] of witchcraft.
That the devils have a natural power which makes them capable of
exhibiting what shape they please I suppose nobody doubts, and I have no
absolute promise of God that they shall not exhibit mine.
It is the opinion generally of all Protestant writers that the devil may thus
abuse the innocent; yea, tis the confession of some popish ones. And our
honorable judges are so eminent for their justice, wisdom, and goodness, that
whatever their own particular sense may be, yet they will not proceed capitally
against any, upon a principle contested with great odds on the other side in the
learned and godly world.
Nevertheless, a very great use is to be made of the spectral impressions
upon the sufferers. They justly introduce, and determine, an inquiry into the
circumstances of the person accused, and they strengthen other presumptions.
When so much use is made of those things, I believe the use for which the
great God intends them is made. And accordingly you see that the excellent
judges have had such an encouraging presence of God with them, as that
scarce any, if at all any, have been tried before them, against whom God has
not strangely sent in other, and more human and most convincing, testimonies.
If any persons have been condemned, about whom any of the judges are
not easy in their minds that the evidence against them has been satisfactory, it
would certainly be for the glory of the whole transaction to give that person a
reprieve.
It would make all matters easier if at least bail were taken for people
accused only by the invisible tormentors of the poor sufferers and not
blemished by any further grounds of suspicion against them.
The odd effects produced upon the sufferers by the look or touch of the
accused are things wherein the devils may as much impose upon some
harmless people as by the representation of their shapes.
My notion of these matters is this. A suspected and unlawful communion
with a familiar spirit is the thing inquired after. The communion on the devils
part may be proved, while, for ought I can say, the man may be innocent; the
devil may impudently impose his communion upon some that care not for his
company. But if the communion on the mans part be proved, then the
business is done.
I am suspicious lest the devil may at some time or other serve us a trick by
his constancy for a long while in one way of dealing. We may find the devil
using one constant course in nineteen several actions, and yet he be too hard
for us at last if we thence make a rule to form an infallible judgment of a
twentieth. It is our singular happiness that we are blessed with judges who are
aware of this danger.
For my own part, if the Holy God should permit such a terrible calamity to
befall myself as that a specter in my shape should so molest my neighborhood
as that they can have no quiet, although there should be no other evidence
against me, I should very patiently submit unto a judgment of transportation,
and all reasonable men would count our judges to act, as they are like the

3. What information does the writer

share that shows he believes, as a
Puritan, in the power of both God and
Satan?

4) What logic does the writer use to

justify his belief that the judges should
use more than just visions (which are
often only seen by the victims) to
determine guilt?

Name:______________________________Per:____
Witch Hunt 1: Salem, MA & the
accused witches
fathers of the public, in such a judgment. What if such a thing should be
ordered for those whose guilt is more dubious and uncertain, whose presence
[thus?] perpetuates the miseries of our sufferers? They would cleanse the land
of witchcrafts, and yet also prevent the shedding of innocent blood, whereof
some are so apprehensive of hazard. If our judges want any good bottom to act
thus upon, you know that besides the usual power of governors to relax many
judgments of death, our General Court can soon provide a law.
Sir, you see the incoherency of my thoughts, but I hope you will also some 5) What risk does the writer take in
reasonableness in those thoughts.
writing this letter? What evidence do
[Cites a witchcraft case in 1645.]
you have that he is probably aware of
Our case is extraordinary. And so, you and others will pardon the
the risk?
extraordinary liberty I take to address you on this occasion. But after all, I
entreat you that whatever you do, you strengthen the hands of our honorable
judges in the great work before them.
They are persons for whom no man living has a greater veneration than, Sir,
Your servant,

Letters from http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/letters/to_cotton1.html & http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/letters/to_foster.html