The Influence of Cotton Mather “The Salem witchcraft trials,” a phrase not too often heard these days in everyday conversation. Witches burning at the stake, or drowning in a tub of water, and perhaps the most humane way of their execution, hanging. This piece of American history is a prudent example of how everyday people can, and were, be lead astray from what would normally be considered ridiculous and preposterous ideas, into something that warrants these horrible means of human demise. What or more importantly who was responsible for this catastrophic loss of life? The Quaker society of colonial America was where these events took place. The term Quaker refers to a member of a religious sect called The Society of Friends, which had significant religious influence in the northeastern parts of America, perhaps too much influence. The man who played a great part in these events was Cotton Mather. Cotton Mather was an extremely influential man during the 65 years of his life here on earth (1663-1728). Cotton was the son of Increase Mather and Maria (Cotton) Mather (1). His father, an educated man who was pastor of the Old North Church in Boston and also the president of Harvard College, set a high precedent for his young son to follow (2). Cotton, inspired by his father’s success, graduated from Harvard College at the age of sixteen and went on to be ordained as minister of the Old North Church in 1685 (2). It is here where Cotton gains the seemingly blind trust of the members of this community, which enables him to have such a significant influence on the outcome of this period of history. Cotton used his influence as pastor through the church to convince the people that witches were living amongst their soci... ... middle of paper ... ...ct in retaliation on the wrong people. Bibliography: Works Cited Brockner, Frances L. “Ephemera of Cotton Mather - Collection 62.” Billy Graham Center at Wheaton University Hovey, Kenneth Alan, and Joseph Fitchelberg. “Cotton Mather.” Introduction. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. 1 vols. Lexington: © Heath, 1994. Mather, Cotton. What Must I Do To Be Saved? The Hall Church of History. © 2001 Mather, Cotton. Introduction. Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions. University of Missouri 2001 Mather, Cotton. The Tryal of G.B. at a Court of Oyer and Terminer, Held in Salem, 1692. 2001 Linder, Dr. Doug. Cotton Mather. University of Missouri 2001 Mather, Cotton. “The Negro Christianized.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. 1 vols. Lexington: © Heath, 1994.
The thoroughness is one of its key strengths, allowing for people of varying knowledge about Salem to gain an understanding of the events and background of the witch trials. The author includes multiple sources to show the exceptionally varying ideals and their effects on Salem. “the peace that came under Joseph Green's conciliatory leaders... the important role religious strife played in the events of 1692”(Latner, 2006, 118). Joseph Green completely paralleled his predecessors, he was responsible for restoring order to Salem. This is significant because it shows the impact that ministers had, they had the power to change the town completely, Green was one of the first to not cause strife. Compared to Christine Leigh Heyrman’s “Witchcraft in Salem Village: Intersections of Religion and Society” Latner’s article correlates with the central idea that religious leaders and religion itself started the witch
The book begins with a brief history of the colonial witchcraft. Each Chapter is structured with an orientation, presentation of evidence, and her conclusion. A good example of her structure is in chapter two on the demographics of witchcraft; here she summarizes the importance of age and marital status in witchcraft accusations. Following this she provides a good transition into chapter three in the final sentence of chapter two, “A closer look of the material conditions and behavior of acc...
Cotton Mather, in his The Wonders of the Invisible World, preserved for posterity a very dark period in Puritanical American society through his account of the Salem witch trials in 1692. His description is immediately recognizable as being of the same viewpoint as those who were swept up in the hysteria of the moment. Mather viewed Salem as a battleground between the devil and the Puritans. "The New Englanders are a people of God settled in those which were once the devil's territories. . . . The devil thus irritated, immediately tried all sorts of methods to overturn this poor plantation" (Mather 421). Here Mather is alluding to the Native Americans as being a people associated with the devil rather than with their God, a common point of view held towards all savage people. Mather saw the witches of Salem as being "his [the devil's] incarnate legions" sent to Salem "to persecute us. . ." (Mather 421). The Salem witch trials have become a part of American mythology which has been passed down to each succeeding generation for over 300 years after the village of Salem sent its last witch to the gallows. However, it is the witch trials relevance to modern society more than any other factor that has contributed to its legendary place in American history and mythology. The witch trials that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, are the precursor to the modern trials where adults are accused of crimes including ritualistic sexual molestation of children. These types of ritualized abuse are commonly linked to Satanic cults. Modern beliefs in Satanists mirror similar beliefs held of colonial witches.
In many ways, the trials that delivered verdicts that often lead to an alleged witch’s death were often based on the word some respected member of the community or another. On close inspection, it becomes clear that most of the individuals accused and punished for practicing witchcraft led lives that were considered out of the ordinary, and were usually marginalized by society, as a result. After many innocent lives had been lost, Increase Mather, a Harvard College academic and a respected member of society, urged the Massachusetts’s legal representative to change the standards governing evidence on witchcraft to be equal to other crimes. The Massachusetts General Court later deemed the trials as being unconstitutional and unlawful since they did not adhere to the due process. Magistrates such as Samuel Sewall, who were responsible for executions in the trials, apologized publicly for their actions to undermine the people’s rights. The court also ruled on offering financial compensation to the heirs of the executed suspects in 1711. The Salem Witch Trials are now widely accepted as unjustified killings resulting from inaccurate accusations made due to mass hysteria, religious extremism and social
McBain, J. ‘The Salem Witch Trials: A Primary Source History of the Witchcraft Trials in Salem, Massachusetts’, (Rosen Publishing Group, New York, 2002)
The Salem Witch Trials is a devastating event in which 19 people and dogs were killed due to the cry of witchcraft. The outburst of these events could be blamed on several things. Certain things like economics, medicines and culture have to be taken into account when trying to understand the events of the Salem Witch Trials. People like Franklin Jr. Mixon, Linnda R. Caporael, Dr. Allan Woolf, Elaine G. Brewslaw, and Isaac Ariail Reed take into account one of the three: economics, medicines and culture and explain as to why or why not the event happened the way it did disregarding all the other factors.
Cotton Mather 's The Wonders of the Invisible World is a text that is attempting to justify the transpiring of the Salem Witch trial. This text is rich with biblical allusions and an effort to bring to a society that is filled with chaos and confusion, a sense of order and structure as well as something to believe in. However, while attempting to do so, Mather does not entirely offer a distinct opinion on if the trails are justified or not. Whereas this text was created with the purpose of supporting the Salem Witch trials and their primary cause, in the preface to the account of the trails themselves, Mather offers a diverse viewpoint concerning these trials. In The Wonders of the Invisible World Mather 's proves to be an unreliable narrator
Godbeer, Richard. ""How Could They Believe That?": Explaining to Students Why Accusations of Witchcraft Made Good Sense in Seventeenth-Century New England." OAH Magazine of History July 2003: 28-31. Ebscohost.Web. 05 Nov. 2013.
Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This paper will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views.
Donavel, David, and Joseph R. Modugno. "Quakers and Accused Witches: Introduction." Welcome to Nathaniel Hawthorne in Salem. Web. 04 May 2014.
The notorious witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts occurred from June through September. It is a brief, but turbulent period in history and the causes of the trials have long been a source of discussion among historians. Many try to explain or rationalize the bizarre happenings of the witch hunts and the causes that contributed to them. To understand the trials and how they came to be, we must first examine the ideals and views of the people surrounding the events. Although religious beliefs were the most influential factor, socioeconomic tensions, and ergot poisoning are also strongly supported theories. A combination of motives seems the most rational explanation of the frenzy that followed the illness of the two girls. This paper looks closely at the some of the possible causes of one of the most notable occurrences in history.
How would you determine if someone is a witch or not? In the 14th century in Europe began the widespread belief of the supernatural. Cotton Mather was a Puritan, preacher, historian, and writer. In 1693, He wrote “The Wonders of the Invisible World” based on the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch trials were used to prosecute witches. With the use of Cultural Studies theory, you can see how this book reflected the current events at the time and how the event was supported through the writing. This essay will include Cotton’s childhood, the event of the Salem witch trial, and an analysis of one of his books.
In 1688, a wayward daughter of John Goodwin of Boston, about thirteen years of age, accused a servant girl of stealing some of the family linen. The servant's mother, a "wild Irish woman" and a Roman Catholic, impassioned disapproval the accuser as a false witness. The young girl, in revenge, pretended to be bewitched by the Irish woman. Some others of her family followed her example. They would alternately become deaf, dumb and blind, bark like dogs and purr like cats, but none of them lost their appetites or sleep. The Rev. Cotton Mather, a simple and conceited minister rushed to Goodwin's house to ease the witchery by prayer. Wonderful were the supposed effects of his desire. The devil was controlled by them for the time. Then four other ministers of Boston and one of Salem, as superstitious as himself, joined Mather they spent a whole day in the house of the "afflicted" in fasting and prayer, the result of which was the delivery of one of the family from the power of the witch. This was enough proof for the minds of the ministers that there must be a witch in the case, and these ignorant minister prosecuted the ignorant Irish woman as such. She was confused before the court, and spoke sometimes in her native Irish language, which nobody could understand, and which her accusers and judges explain into involuntary confession.
“The Wonders of the Invisible World”, written by Cotton Mather, is an account of the Salem Witch Trials. He retells information that has been passed down to him without actually being present at the trial and simultaneously explains his theory to why witches were suddenly emerging in Salem, Massachusetts. There were quite a few holes in the Salem Witch Trials, especially regarding whether or not these events occurred the way they are said to. Mather’s book shows us how intense the Puritan ideals were, attaching anything out of the ordinary to a higher power and in doing this shows the flaws of the religion which caused to Salem Witch Trials.
This literature analysis gives the background information about Memorable Provinces, Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions (1689) written by Cotton Mather, and how this piece of literature led to the Salem Witch Trials. Also looks at the authors background, why he wrote the literature, and what was the agenda of the literature. The analysis will show the reasons why the literature has historical significance and the events that transpired because of it.