The Salem Witch Trials (1862-1863)

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble. Fillet of a fenny snake, In the caldron boil and bake; Eye of a newt and toe of a frog, Wool of a bat and tongue of a dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's legs and howlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble... Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn the caldron bubble. Cool with a baboon's blood, Then the charm is firm and good." (Quill, H. 2015). - Willam Shakespeare (1564-1616 – United Kingdom).

The accusation, conviction, and murder of 20+ innocent women during period of the Salem Witch Trials were the disastrous result of various unfortunate circumstances... The faults of an early patriarchy society, religious puritan pride, fear-based contention, uneducated scapegoating, and local ergot poisoning all lead to social mass hysteria, religious mass murder, and furthermore, citywide gender-based genocide. One of the most tragic events in American history, the Salem Witch Trials (Salem, Massachusetts) took place between February of 1692, and April of 1693.

An early, and patriarchal society during the 17th century, no doubt... Men dominated society, while (by document) women and children (unless wealthy) were rarely accounted for.

"At this juncture of American history, Satan was widely believed to have a great and constant presence in the world. Witches were thought to be agents of Satan and sought to target people to advance Satan’s agenda—often young girls. Cotton Mather, a prominent religious figure, disseminated a great number of pamphlets in the years leading up to the trials exhorting the real and palpable evil of witchcraft. He detailed the effects of witchcraft and who would engage in it." (Wickelus, C. 2014).

First written in the Bible, 'Salem' was just another name for the 'Holy City' of Jerusalem...

"Salem was first settled in 1626 by Puritans who were seeking a safe place to practice their strict religious beliefs. Their beliefs about personal faith, worship, and church government set them apart." (Magoon, 2008, p.15).

Puritan immigration across the Atlantic Ocean into Salem began in 1630. The location was chosen for its many rivers, streams, and other gateways used for fisheries. The religious Puritan lifestyle (also, known as the 'Congregationalist' lifestyle) recently detached from the Catholic Church, and vowed to erase all what they knew as Catholic influence. Thus, Puritans believed in the absolute trust of God... Therefore, they started their own Church, own set of rules, own laws, and tragically own way of life.

"The Covenant agreed upon and consented unto the Church of Christ in Salem Village, at first embodying, on the 19'h November, 1689." (Parris, 1696).

Fear-based contention in the Town of Salem during 1692 was a dead serious issue 1692. Anyone could have been accused of witchcraft, really... Mostly women, even children, many families were destroyed. One after another innocent women were accused, tried, and executed. If not hung by choking to death, they plead guilty, were convicted, and left to rot in a non-optional pay-as-you-go, wooden, almost barn-like jailhouse.

Salem Minister John Hawthorne interrogates accused and convicted witch, Martha Corey...

"John Hathorne; Salem Judge/Minister (one of): "You are now in the hands of Authority tell me now why you hurt these persons Martha Kory." Corey: "I do not." Hathorne: "who doth?" Corey: "Pray give me leave to goe to prayer." Hathorne: "This request was made sundry times... We do not send for you to go to prayer, but tell me why you hurt these?" Corey: "I am an innocent

person: I never had to do with Witchcraft since I was born. I am a Gospel Woman..."" (Salem Gov't. /Corwin, 1692 -D).

...She goes on only to be harassed, and intolerably interrogated by Judge Hawthorne. She was executed by hanging for her 'crimes' at a near-later date.

Just as easy... Arrest Warrants for regular women of the day Sarah Osborne and Tituba (Reverend Parris' Slave from Barbados) are issued in January, 1692. (Salem Gov't, 1692 -B).

Thus, Parris' daughter Betty and niece Abigail claim affliction from witchcraft. They lay blame on blame Tituba, Tituba then lays blame on many others... Betty, and Abigail then follow along with the alleged accusations.

Uneducated Scapegoating was also a major threat amongst the villagers of Salem. Today, scapegoating requires a transfer of blame to an innocent person, and up until 1693, the Town, now Village (city split due to a new Church's location) was seeking desperately to lay blame on whoever for their troubles.

"Life was hard for many in Salem Village. The villagers faced disease, crop failure, severe weather, and other difficulties that were often beyond their control. They needed somewhere to point the blame, and the blame wound up being placed on those accused of witchcraft." (Magoon, 2008, p.81).

Ergot poisoning (also known as ergotism) is essentially a food poisoning, though actually an alkaloid that has effects very similar to the recreational drug LSD.

"But unlike LSD, the effects produced by it are not potentially pleasant—you don't have a good trip. It only produces an unpleasant altered state in which you're experiencing mania, delirium, paranoia, you're seeing troubling visions, and depending on what other alkaloids are involved, there is some variation within ergot. You could have things like convulsions, interrupted speech, vomiting, diarrhea, and it can even cause gangrenous symptoms, you could lose limbs, and eventually it could kill you." (Lohman, 2017).

Ergotism (from the local fungi 'ergot') in Salem rounding the 17th century can be laid to blame by a combination of cold weather, damp environments, the digestion of moldy rye bread, and/or drinking tainted leftover rye. Running through the fields of wheat was also a possibility, though due to such unseasonably cold weather at the time, it was less likely and thus ruled out as a valid possibility.

In regards to social mass hysteria, religious mass murder, and citywide gender-based genocide...

"The law did not then use the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty' – if you made it to trial, the law presumed guilt. If the colony imprisoned you, you had to pay for your stay." (Lewis-Jacques. 2012).

At this time in Salem, the largest and wealthiest of families (and very large clan) were the Putnam's... And they made it their point to make it known who they were. Thomas Putnam was at the head of the family (after his father, alive, the wealthiest man in Salem) and a significant accuser during the 1692 trials.

"Warrant for the Apprehension of George Burroughs, and Officer's Return." (Salem Gov't, 1692 -A).

Connected... A complaint in which he laid upon (a once Reverend) George Burroughs eventually lead to Burroughs summer execution August 19, 1692.

"The above Complaint was Exhibited before us this 30'th April, 1692." (Putnam, 1692). - Putnam, T.

Persons who have done members of the Putnam family wrong during this time were most likely all now suspect to witchcraft, tried, and accused.

"Indictment No. 1 of Bridget Bishop, for Afflicting Mercy Lewis" (Salem Gov't, 1962 -C).

Bridget Bishop was tried 12 years earlier for accusations of witchcraft, though was found innocent due to lack of spectral evidence. Definition: Spectral evidence is a form of evidence based upon dreams and visions, and during the late 1600's the New England belief in superstitions was at its highest point ever recorded. "On June 10, 1692... Bridget Bishop becomes the first witch to hang in Salem Village. She hung from a rope as the raised floor was swept away, so she died a slow strangulation as opposed to a quick, swift neck break." (Motion picture., N. Geo, 2015, 49:20).

"It was in Thomas Putnam’s home that the nineteen-year-old Mercy Lewis befriended Ann Putnam Jr. when Ann began behaving strangely in the winter of 1692, suffering fits and seizures, Lewis quickly followed suit." (Brooks, 2014).

Approximately 50 people had since (directly or indirectly) been accused and/or convicted of witchcraft due to the actions and/or mistakes made by the very bored, and bothered two young girls, and/or other members if the Putnam family.

"Mercy Lewis, the daughter of Phillip Lewis, was born in Falmouth, Maine in 1675. On August 11, 1676, one-year-old Mercy Lewis and her parents barely escaped an attack by the nearby 'Wabanaki' Indians that resulted in the death of her grandparents, cousins and many other members of the community." (Brooks, 2014).

After the attack, the Lewis family moved briefly to Salem where Mercy's uncle, Thomas Skilling, passed away a few months later (possible attack wound). Young Mercy Lewis and her family then moved back to the Casco Bay area in 1683.

"In the summer or fall of 1689, the Wabanaki attacked again, this time killing both of Mercy Lewis’ parents. Seeking refuge, the Lewis family fled to an island in Casco Bay along with the other surviving members of the community, including Reverend George Burroughs." (Brooks, 2014).

Before moving to Salem, Lewis would then spend time working as a servant for George Burrough's in his home. In Salem, Lewis then became a servant for the Putnam family.

"A puritan’s life—feminist, Christian, whatever—revolves around punishing those around them for thoughts they spend their entire lives repressing. This could result in the Salem Witch Trials: prosecuting people for giving into Satan. It could also result in attacking young men on college campuses for associating with men or #GamerGate." (Wickelus, 2014).

Mercy Lewis' name should stand for not as just an accuser, faker, or pain experienced child, but as a champion for the pursuit of life, empowerment, and succession for women everywhere...

"Modern feminism, then, is little more than a repackaged version of the Salem Witch Trials. The feminine hysteria, the inability to consider real evidence, and the swarming nature of the phenomenon are all indicative of its puritanical nature." (Wickelus, 2014).

"By October 1692, 19 people had been executed, 1 man pressed to death, 150 people languished in prison, and about 200 more stood accused of witchcraft. While this 'hysteria' continued, the voices of madness grew louder." (Kallen, 1999).

"The Salem Witch Trials was a classic example of scapegoating. Fear combined with a “trigger,” a traumatic or stressful event, is what often leads to scapegoating. Fear of the Devil, and witches who did his bidding, was very real in Salem at the time." (Brooks, 2011).

FIN.