Early Puritans & Salem Witch Trials

Early Puritans:
Picture 4: Reverend Parris, who's daughter and niece were the ones who claimed their slave to be a witch.
Picture 3: Two puritans, very similar to pilgrims but just the religion is different.
Picture 2: A witch trial.
Picture 1: Witchcraft symbol.

The early puritans were colonists from England, who left England in order to keep their religion. They fled to America. The puritans had some interesting rules that they called the Puritan Code which stated that males and females had to sit on opposite sides in the church during worship and they couldn't attend Sunday worships. Puritans worked toward religious, moral and societal reforms. John Calvin was the one who wrote down the laws of the puritans. They saw the bible as God's true law & that is what they wanted to live by. They tried to tweak & strip Christianity and purify it. They have strict rules on sexual morality, and many other things.

Puritan Beliefs:
1. Total Depravity-A wicked or morally corrupt act- They say everyone is born with sin.
2. Unconditional Election- God only saves the ones he wishes.
3. Irresistible Grace- God's grace can not be freely given or not accepted.
4. Perseverance of the Saints- If God wants a certain man to speak God's word, he must do so and not reject the wishes of God.


Function of Puritan writings:
1. Transform and interpret the mysterious God.
2. Make God more known to everyone.
3. Glorify God.

Puritans main focus was that they were to work hard and not express emotions. They could not express their own ideas. They believed every sin should be punished. They believed God would punish sinful behavior. For example, when a family had a sick child, people would not feel sorry or try to help them because they believed it was God's will. They believed the Devil was a real God. Everyone struggled between good and evil. Women, children, and the insane were most targeted by Satan because they were weaker forces. The Devil would carry out his work through them. The people who followed Satan were said to be witches. Witchcraft was a huge crime, and was usually punished by death. Puritans believed witches and their ability to hurt others.


The first women accused of being witches were:
1. Tituba, a slave. She was African-American and had experience in Voodoo.
2. Sarah Good, a homeless beggar. If when she begged at your door and you didn't give her anything, she would leave saying nonsense words to herself.
3. Sarah Osborn, a sick old lady who married her servant. She had not been to church in over a year when she was convicted.
(If you were accused of being a witch, you would be hanged.)
More on Tituba's story, she was a slave for Reverend Parris. During the winter, Parris' daughter Betty and his niece Abigail started acting strange. Doctors couldn't find anything wrong with the girls and he called them "bewitched". They blamed Tituba for witchcraft because she would tell the girls stories of when she was living the Carribbean and voodoo. During Tituba's trail for being a witch, she talked about red rats, talking cats, and a man dressed in black that made her, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn all sign a book. All three women were taken to jail.

1962, Salem, Massachusetts, was were the witch outbreak started. More than 200 people were accused and 20 ended up being hanged. They were killed for practicing the Devil's magic. Even two dogs were killed for being suspected to be part of the Devil's works.