loveshistory1misc

Perhaps to understand what may have led the children of Salem Village to act as they did, a glimpse into their childhoods may be necessary.

Pastor John Robinson  spoke about the innate natural pride found within humanity.  This stumbling block was an impediment to the growth of the virtues, thus strict discipline was necessary to crush it.

This breaking of a child’s will was to begin as the end of the first year of life.  Imagine the shock of the child.  From birth to the end of its first year, the child would know total indulgence - warmth, comfort, food on demand.  After that, harsh reality now enters the picture.

As the child developed, it would begin training as a small adult, slowly forced to take the chores expected of adults.  Boys would bond with their fathers, learning the tasks of their dads, and the same would hold true for daughters - they would follow and learn from their mothers.

Early Massachusetts was an agricultural community for the most part.  However, the coastline of New England afforded the settlers with other means of earning a living.  Trade, fishing, logging, and ship building to name a few areas of possibilities were available.

For the most part, however, Salem Village was an agricultural community with some who earned their livelihood via the sea.

Education in the formal sense, as today, was not mandatory.  However, most Puritans knew how to read well enough to read their Bibles.  Men’s education, for some, moved into more advanced realms as their livelihoods mandated, or if they had an opportunity to advance into further intellectual training.

This was not the case for women.  Hearth and home were the established parameters during this time.  If a woman’s husband died.  She either remained a widow or remarried.

Unless she was given some sort of support after the death of her husband, more than likely she would need to remarry in order to survive.

Thus, there was little room for young people to maneuver in, especially if you were born female.  Children  grew up taking on the roles of their parents.  If dad was a farmer, more than likely, the son would become a farmer.  If dad was a fisherman, more than likely his son would become a fisherman.

Marriage and motherhood were the acceptable spheres for the female half of the population.  Life was simple in the regards of one’s vocation.

Source

John Demos,  A Little Commonwealth Family Life in Plymouth Colony, Oxford University Press 198 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016, 2000, pgs. 128-150.

You wouldn’t think a man of the gospel would condone slavery by owning a slave of his own, but it is the 1690s and slavery was a well-accepted practice.

Evidently, Tituba , Rev. Samuel Parris’ slave and perhaps former concubine, had influenced his daughter, Elizabeth, as well as her cousin, Abigail Williams with stories/religious practices she learned during her early life’s history.

She may not have been black, as has been accepted.  Tituba  may have been from one of the indigenous tribes of S. America and sold into slavery, ending up in Barbados where Parris had acquired her.  He was not in the ministry at the time, but a bachelor, a merchant, thus leading to some speculation that the woman may have been a secret lover.

Parris had acquired another slave named, John.  John and Tituba eventually married and from their union a daughter was born.  She was named Violet.

Tituba executed the household responsibilities expected of a family slave.  However, when Elizabeth began acting strangely, under the advise from Mary Sibley, their neighbor, Tituba bakes a witch cake.  This item consisted of the urine of the afflicted and rye, then fed to the family dog.

Some animals were considered to be the “familiars” of witches.  Thus, it was believed, that, if the dog ate the cake, the dog would reveal who the witch was that was tormenting Elizabeth.

Instead of the anticipated result, Tituba finds herself at the mercy of Rev. Parris’ fury, and accused of witchcraft.  The hysteria’s tentacles really begin to entwine and snare the community.

More to come…

Martha Goodwin, age 13, has the dark distinction of kick-starting the witch hysteria of Salem and Salem Village, the year, 1688.  Evidently, Goodwin had an argument with Goody Glover (Goody, an identifier/greeting similar to Ma’am, Ms., Mrs., used today) whose profession at the time was that of the neighborhood wash woman.

Salem Village, now known as Danvers, was a farming community of the 1600s.  Yet, there were also merchants whose livelihoods were chained to the sea.

Today, depending upon traffic, the ride from Danvers to Salem may take a half hour or more.  Reflecting back to the late 1600s travel was by foot or horseback and perhaps small sailing vessels, since the present day Danvers River flows into Beverly Harbor next to Salem Harbor.

Martha’s behaviors were later adopted by her younger brother and sisters.  Consequently, Glover is accused, and later hanged for bewitching the Goodwin children.

Interesting to note, witchcraft, per English Law was declared a capital crime in 1641 , and the colonies, in 1864, were forbidden to self-govern .

Four years after this incident there are more accusations, again, by children.  Abigail Williams, age 11, and Elizabeth Parris, age 9, daughter of the Rev. Parris.

A large focus in my blogs will be upon the children.  Well, this gets us started.  More to come!

Since I grew up along the Northshore of Boston, I have been intrigued by this black era of New England history.  The bizarre events continually fascinate me!

I have vowed to now take the time to investigate the gruesome dynamics which culminated in the execution of a number of sound, upstanding citizens and two dogs.

Please take the journey with me.  Your insights and feedback will be honored.

I’m somewhat new to this style.  Please forgive any errors as I learn how to navigate.

In the meantime, the beginning subject matter of my blog will explore the Salem With Hysteria (1690s) New England.  This has always intrigued me, and now I plan to explore and scrutinize the people and chain of events.

I sincerely welcome information and comments.  The comments cannot be mean or malicious, since these are counterproductive, and I wish my blog to be interesting, entertaining and informative.

Happy reading!  May this journey into history be an adventure!