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I think “Witchcraft in the Anglo-American Colonies” hit the nail on the head when it stated that the meaning of the witch trials in Salem and much of New England gets lost now do to pop culture characters like the Wicked Witch of the West or Sabrina the Teenage Witch. But what the article goes on to argue is that the witch trials were an important illustration of society and its faults. Living in such close quarters, there were more property disputes and neighborhood fighting, and it was easy to win the fight if you accused your nemesis of being a witch. Also without a clear understanding of the sciences, weather and illness at inopportune times did not have a better explanation that the workings of a witch. Because if the Puritans were God’s people, then only the devil would be the one harming them.
It also illustrates gender roles in New England Society. It goes all the way back to Eve eating the forbidden fruit, during that time society thought women were more prone to making deals with the devil. And these women would admit to it more often than you would think. The punishment for admitting it was rarely death, because they still thought you were strong enough to kick the devil out, where denying it could be a sign the devil has taken over. Women would also admit it because they honestly thought they were a witch, confusing there everyday sin with the devil’s work.
Walter Woodward’s article makes the point of how this problem wasn’t isolated to Salem, but a New England Problem. Witchcraft was deeply entrenched in the culture, and the ministers and magistrates in power were believers. For instance, Governor John Winthrop led his own witch trials in Connecticut. There were also the natives who practiced witchcraft, and had a strong belief in spells and curses. However the natives did not have a gender bias when it came to witchcraft, which I thought was an interesting societal difference that I did not really expect.
As Kurt points out in his post, this kind of crazy fundamentalism made people disillusioned with sects like Puritanism and led to more religious toleration and the “Great Awakening Movement.” I also agree with Thomas, that the use of things like witchcraft were ways to keep the current power structure in line, and keep the ministers and magistrates at the top of the hierarchy.