Voices of Salem
by Janice Cooper
Introduction · Questions · Web Resources · The Big Question · Conclusion · Rubric · Guide
Introduction · Questions · Web Resources · The Big Question · Conclusion · Rubric · Guide
Introduction
The voices of the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria and Trials echo today, more than 300 years later, as a cacophony of accusations, confessions, and condemnations.
- The accusers, teenagers between the ages of 9 and 20, were heard for the first time in the New World. Although the majority of accusers were female, several boys joined their ranks.
- The accused, most of whom were middle-aged or elderly women, were heard for the last time as they defended themselves against the medieval charges of witchcraft.
- And it was, perhaps, the first time the voice of a woman of African or Native American descent was heard in the Northern Hemisphere.
Arthur Miller dramatized the events of the Salem Witchcraft Trials in 'The Crucible.' You will be reading the play and viewing Millerís 1996 film version of it. This interdisciplinary Knowledge Hunt will focus on 'The Crucible' to raise and examine questions about the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria and Trials from a variety of disciplines, or perspectives, . . . or voices.
How could this tragedy have happened?
Why did it happen?
Could it happen again?
As a class, begin by viewing National Geographic's fascinating Web site on the Salem Witchcraft Trials through the first link below.
The class will be divided into groups of three or four. Your group's task in this activity is to explore essential questions about this event or the play. To do so, select a category of research questions, representing different perspectives or 'voices,' from the list below.
Each group will develop a poster or PowerPoint slide(s) listing the five strongest, most compelling arguments or answers to the questions raised by their perspective into the background of 'The Crucible.' (These visuals should be large enough to be read from across the classroom.) They should be displayed on the classroom walls.
The class as a whole, will debate and discuss the Big Question. Consider which perspective has the most intriguing answers, the loudest voice, in explaining the mystery of the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria and Trials.
Web sites are listed for all questions. Please be aware that the listed resources are only the tip of the iceberg. You may need to locate more information in your library, in the public libraries, and through your own well-crafted Internet searches. If you want an idea of how your learning will be evaluated, read the evaluation rubric.
Finally, remember, this activity is about thinking and learning, not copying and pasting. You are encouraged to extend your research beyond the questions posted here. At the end of the list of Internet Sites on this page are two links to online tools that will help your group develop even better, more incisive research questions.
Questions
- Economic, Geographic, and Political:
How did the political background of the Puritan's settlements in New England affect the witchcraft hysteria?
Compare and contrast the economic and social structures of Salem Town and Salem Village?
How does the geographic distribution of the people in town and village affect the witchcraft hysteria?
Are there patterns of accusers and accused?
To what extent did the village leaders suppress or control the witchcraft hysteria?
What underlying motives might the accusers or village leaders have had?- Psychological:
How does modern psychology explain what happened in Salem Village?
What connections can be made between adolescent psychology and the condition called 'hysteria'?
What is the significance that the witchcraft accusations originated with teenage girls?
Following the chain of accusers and accused through the spring and summer of 1692, how did the behavior of the teenagers affect each other?
If a cause of the Salem witchcraft hysteria is psychological, how does that affect the actions of the accusers and the village leaders?- Religious:
How did the basic beliefs of the Puritans contribute to a climate ripe for the Salem Witchcraft hysteria?
Did the Puritans believe in witchcraft?
How did the day-to-day practice of the Puritan religion contribute to the climate?
To what extent did the Puritan Theocracy, without separation of church and government, control or guide the hysteria and trials?
How was the church and the minister supported by the community? Salary? Barter?- Sociological - The Accusers:
Who were the 'afflicted' teenagers and were they in agreement with each other?
How and why did the hysteria spread, tearing their community apart?
How did the growing hysteria impact on the teenagersí accusations, behavior, or roles in the 'circle?'
Why werenít the teenagers who tried to stop the hysteria successful?
Were the teens in control of the hysteria or were they puppets manipulated by others?
What do you hear in the trial transcripts as the girls testify and remonstrate against the 'witches' in court?- Sociological - The Accused:
Why were the majority of the accused witches middle-aged or elderly women?
Who were the accused men?
Were there any other contemporary witchcraft cases in the colonies?
Compare and contrast the Salem Witchcraft hysteria and previous cases.
What does this tell us about the roles and status of women in Puritan or earlier societies?
As you read the trial transcripts, how do you interpret the transcripts of the accused as they are examined by the magistrates?- Historical:
To what extent does The Crucible reflect or conflict with the historical record of the Salem Witchcraft Trials?
What does this tell you about Arthur Millerís play?
What does this tell you about Millerís concept of human nature?
What is Millerís message about the Salem Witchcraft Trials?- Comparative Historical:
What was the 'Red Scare' and who was Senator Joseph McCarthy?
What was the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee) and what was its purpose?
Who did the HUAC investigate and what effects did that have on their lives?
How did the U.S. government and American society allow this to happen?
In what ways were peopleís fears in the 1950s like those during the Salem Witchcraft Trials?
How did the 'Red Scare' affect Arthur Miller?
What does The Crucible say about the HUAC and the McCarthy hearings?
Web Resources Links
- Salem: Witchcraft Hysteria
- For an Introduction: From National Geographic, this site is an excellent, engaging introduction to the Salem witch trials.
- Famous American Trials: The Salem Witchcraft Trials
- Numerous primary sources, including images, are presented in this site that is visually as well as intellectually rich. A concise and well-written 'Account of Events in Salem' introduces the site and incorporates the primary sources available on the site.
- Map of Salem Village: Witchcraft Accusations
- This site presents a map of the village and timeline presenting who and where witch accusations occurred in March 1692. Click on the red and blue dots next to the names to find out more about individuals accused.
- Ogram's 17th Century New England Links: Witchcraft
- These links have to do with historical perceptions of witchcraft in Europe and the Americas, including methods of detection and the people who were persecuted, not with modern-day Wicca.
- Plants and People - Saint Antony and The Salem Witch Trials
- A brief page on ergotism.
- Revenge in the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria
- A more earthy explanation of the hysteria and trials.
- Salem: Witch Trials: The World Behind the Hysteria
- Learn this history of the trials, watch a multimedia movie, and read biographies of people representative of Salem at that time.
- Salem: Witch Trials: A Village Possessed
- Learn this history of the trials, watch a multimedia movie, and read biographies of people representative of Salem at that time.
- Salem Witch Museum
- Includes an overview of the period and a FAQ page.
- Salem Witch Trial
- An excellent gateway to Salem Witch Trial resources by Denver librarians. The outline format is particularly helpful at breaking down the topic.
- Salem Witchcraft History
- A one-page history of the witchcraft hysteria and trials.
- Secrets of the Dead . The Witches Curse PBS
- A forensic exploration into possible medical reasons for the hysteria from PBS.
- Witchcraft in Salem Village
- The site's 'purpose is to introduce.... collections relating to the infamous Salem Village Witchcraft Trials of 1692. This Web site is designed to provide accurate general information about these witchcraft events, as well as information on other aspects of Danvers' history.
- Frames Puritan History
- An overview of Puritan history.
- Puritanism and Predestination
- Each page has a linked annotated 'webliography' of additonal sources.
- Religion, Women, and the Family in Early America
- Each page has a linked annotated 'webliography' of additonal sources.
- 17th Century New England
- A comprehensive 'webliography' of resources on the 17th century, including an essay on the historical accuracy of The Crucible. Useful for any research question.
- Religious Movements Homepage: The Salem Witch Trials
- From the University of Virginia, this site focuses on the hysteria and trials from the religious and and historical perspective, and puts the concept of witchcraft in context.
- 17th Century New England
- A comprehensive 'webliography' of resources on the 17th century, including an essay on the historical accuracy of The Crucible. Useful for any research question.
- Religious Movements Homepage: The Salem Witch Trials
- From the University of Virginia, this site focuses on the hysteria and trials from the religious and and historical perspective, and puts the concept of witchcraft in context.
- Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem?
- Web page focuses on a possible outbreak of Ergotism in Salem as a medical event underlying the hysteria.
- Famous American Trials: Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692
- This sites provides a nice access point to some of the larger transcript collections. It includes copies of search warrants and transcriptions of examinations of the 'Accused.'
- Why I Wrote The Crucible: An Artist's Answer to Politics By Arthur Miller
- The author's explanation of the 1953 play written on the occasion of the 1996 file.
- Ten General Historical Theories about the Origins and Causes of the Witch Hunts
- A quick overview of the underlying impulses that lead to witch hunts in European history.
- Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem?
- Web page focuses on a possible outbreak of Ergotism in Salem as a medical event underlying the hysteria.
- Famous American Trials: Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692
- This sites provides a nice access point to some of the larger transcript collections. It includes copies of search warrants and transcriptions of examinations of the 'Accused.'
- Ten General Historical Theories about the Origins and Causes of the Witch Hunts
- A quick overview of the underlying impulses that lead to witch hunts in European history.
- Why I Wrote The Crucible: An Artist's Answer to Politics By Arthur Miller
- The author's explanation of the 1953 play written on the occasion of the 1996 film.
- ModernTimes: Blacklist: A different look at the 1947 HUAC hearings
- This page on a film history site discusses 'blacklisted' actors and directors.
- ModernTimes: HUAC
- Another article from ModernTimes on the House Un-American Activities Committee.
- CNN Cold War - Episode Script Reds
- From CNN, this page contains excerpts of some of the McCarthy hearings.
- Encyclopaedia of USA History McCarthyism
- A British educational Web site for teachers, it offers several interconnected pages on topics such as: McCarthyism, HUAC, and the Hollywood Ten.
- Senator Joseph McCarthy -- A Multimedia Celebration
- Online videos of McCarthy.
- The American 1950s
- A huge gateway maintained by a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, scroll down to H to find links to information on 'Hollywood' and 'HUAC.' Scroll down to M to find links to 'McCarthy' and 'Miller.'
- H102 Lecture 23 The Coils of Cold War
- For some background on the Cold War during the 1950s, read this site by a history professor at the U. of Wisconsin.
- The Victim and the Victimised
- The subtitle tells it all: How McCarthyism Affected Miller.
- Brainstorming Research Questions
- For Questioning Skills: If you need to develop more research questions or more sophisticated research questions for in-depth research, try this site, and it's companion below, to help you formulate them.
- The Art of Asking Questions
- For Questioning Skills: This companion worksheet page will guide you through the processes of developing new research questions.
The Big Question
What perspective, which voice do you find the most compelling? Which do you think relates the most accurate version of the story? Can only one voice tell the tale of Salem in a meaningful way?
Conclusion
The Witchcraft hysteria and trials in Salem Village can be reconsidered through many perspectives and voices. Some of this Knowledge Hunt's research questions revolve around 'The Crucible' as a literary work, and some, around the play as an historical artifact. Other questions focus on the teenagers, the adults they accused, and the officials who enforced the legal consequences. . . .
. . . Not one of these questions is easy or can be answered easily. Answers to one question will refer to answers to other questions and pose new questions. Perhaps, by listening to their voices, we can begin to untangle the fascinating web spun by those teenagers so many years ago.
People used to think that learning was all about gaining information and memorizing facts. We hope you've gained some important insights in this Knowledge Hunt, but more than that, we hope that you have internalized ways to develop and apply questions that expand your perception of any topic.
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created by Janice Cooper email: cooper_j@nvnet.org ; jj71688@optonline.net http://web-and-flow.com/members/jcooper/swt/hunt.htm |