Salem, Mass-acre – 1692

So for some reason lately I’ve been kind of obsessed with idea of the Mid and North Eastern United States in the fall. New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, etc. Have I ever been there in the fall? No. But hey a girl can dream right?

Yes I am a basic white girl and fall is my absolute favorite time of the year, specifically Halloween. There is something aesthetically (yes I’m using that word again. I like that word.) comforting about the darker fall colors in the trees, slight chill in the air, haunted houses, ghost stories and cemetery walks with a warm drink in the afternoon.

But, I live in Southern California. So we don’t have the super old houses and cemeteries from the 17th and 18th centuries, or the beautiful colors and weather that is normally associated with fall.

You know what we get?

90 degree heat and pumpkin spice lattes.

That’s it. That’s our fall.

Does that stop me from going out doing spooky season things with my husband the second September hits and pretending we have the nice fall I see in my head? NOPE.

Now all of these spooky season things we do, we do for fun right? It’s fun to be scared or get creeped out….or get dressed up as someone else for a night or two. (At least all of this applies to me). But sometimes I look at myself and my interests and can’t help but think of how fast I would be tried and hung as witch if I lived about 300 years ago.

To the Puritan people of 1690s Salem, Massachusetts it didn’t even take you doing anything for people to suspect and try you for witchcraft. It is truly amazing what fear, superstition, and a complete disregard of logical thinking can do.

I’m sure most of us know at least the basics of the Salem Witch Trials right? Two young girls begin having fits and convulsions, claiming to feel as if they were being pinched or pricked on their skin and tormented by some unknown force. It wouldn’t be long before these children began to utter the cry of witchcraft, and suddenly there dozens of men, women, and even children being accused of witchcraft and thrown into prison. But the point of this is not necessarily discuss all of the tiny details that went on throughout the Salem Witch Trials.

What I want to bring to light is how dangerous fear is. In the case of the SWT (I will now be abbreviating “Salem Witch Trials” as SWT cause I’m lazy) fear caused masses of people to lose all sense of logic and clear thinking. This is a prime example of mass hysteria.

Late 17th century. Women are demeaned and are looked upon as property. When these young girls who began the witchcraft scare, realize that their erratic behavior is getting them attention in a way that did not look down upon them, or insist they were the lesser gender of the human race, they began to enjoy it. They began to point fingers and call out the names of supposed “witches” at random and you know what happened? Everyone believed them. Instead of really investigating the girls and making sure they were speaking truth, they went ahead and took their erratic behavior as gospel. Soon, more and more young girls joined the claims of being afflicted by witches until everyone in Salem Town, and neighboring areas were afraid not only of each other, but for themselves. A 4 year old girl was accused of witchcraft solely because her mother was, so she must be too. A woman who was an upstanding, churchgoing lady, of a well known family was thrown into prison due to a young girl claiming that she was afflicting her.

This fear destroyed lives. I am proud and honored to say that I have ancestors who tried to save one of those lives. My 9th Great Grandfather, Simon Chapman, lived with my 9th Great Grandmother right through the beginning and end of the trials. One of the accused witches was named Elizabeth Howe, and my ancestors knew her. When she was accused they wrote an testimony on her behalf. Here is my transcription of his letter and I hope you read it all.

Ipswich June 25th, 1692
The testimony of Simon Chapman, aged about 48 years testified he and sayeth that he hath been acquainted with the wife of James Howe Jr., as a neighbor for this 9 or 10 years and never saw any harm by her, but that, that hath been good. For I found her just in her dwelling, faithful to her promises. I have had occasion to be in the company of good wife Howe by the fortnight to gather at their house: and at other times. And I found at all times by her discourse she was a woman of affliction and mourning for sin in herself and others and when she met with any affliction she seemed to justify God and say that it was all better than she dessufit (?) and it were by false accusations from men; and she used to bless God that she got good by afflictions for it made her examin her own hard. I never herd her revile any person that has accused her with witchcraft by pitied then as said “I pray God forgive them for that harm themselves more than me. Though I am a great sinner, yet I am clear of that.” Said she. And such kind of afflictions doth but set me a examining my own heart and I find God wonderfully supporting me and comforting me by His word and promises. She seemed to be a woman through in that great work of conviction and conversion which I pray God make us all. *Simon Chapman
My wife Mary Chapman can testify to the most of this above written as witness my hand. *Mary Chapman

Side note: I find it amazing that my Great Grandmother signed her name and was not later convicted of being a witch herself.

My Grandfather wrote this testimony, telling the truth about Elizabeth and how she was a good Christian woman, wife, and not a witch. Now I cannot say that my Grandparents were not afraid, but clearly they were steadfast enough in the truth to try save a friend. Sadly, fear took the precedence and Elizabeth Howe was hanged despite my grandparents efforts. Eventually the trials would stop…but only when some of the leaders of Massachusetts and the trails would have their own wives accused. IT WAS ONLY THEN that this idiocy stopped.

This unbelievable history shows us how badly fear impacts us and everyone around us. The innocent die needlessly, everything is blamed on one thing and no one questions what is going on. Logic is thrown out the window and those who do question are silenced, ridiculed, or accused of lying themselves. But the second those in control are threatened by their own mistakes, the fear stops. The accusations slow to a halt. And soon everything is back to normal.

Fear has a more devastating affect on people than anything else possible can. Fear is what starts wars and sets people against themselves. Fear is what kills logic and truth, and instead breeds lies, deception, and selfishness.

I can only wonder…do parts of this sound familiar to anyone else?
I know it does to me.

RESOURCES:

Witches of Salem – An amazing 6 part documentary you can watch on the Travel Channel App.

Salem Witch Trials: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html – This is a great resource for all of the documents transcribing the events of the SWT. From courtroom documents to church records, etc.