The Crucible

The Crucible

Background Notes on Salem

What Happened?

1689 – Samuel Parris hired as minister of Salem Village

January 20, 1692, Parris’ daughter and several other girls become sick

February – Dr. Griggs examines the girls and decides that they have been bewitched

Feb. 29th – Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne are arrested for witchcraft.

Tituba confesses to save her life and gives more names

What Happened?

Over 150 people were arrested and imprisoned

5 died in prison 26 went to trial and were all convicted 19 were hanged and one was pressed to

death. October 1692, the court was dissolved May 1693, Gov. Phipps pardons those who

were accused and still living. Courts no longer allowed spectral evidence

Puritans & Life in Salem

The wilderness was nearby seen as a place of the devil. It’s where the Indians live.

Suffer Indian attacks Believed that God told them to

settle here…they were to be the light of the world, a perfect society.

They left for religious freedom, but persecuted anyone who had different beliefs here


Belief in Predestination looked for signs of God’s favor to see if they were going to heaven or hell.

Limited medical knowledge….many things that could not be explained by medicine were said to be caused by something SUPERNATURAL


Their rules were strict, but as time passed and conditions got better: Some people wanted to loosen the

rules Others felt they should remain strict

This caused A LOT of tension in Salem Political Fighting

Believed in the existence of witches

Believed that the devil was everywhere


Believed that women were more likely to be witches because they were more likely to sin

Constant fighting over land boundaries

Small Pox epidemic Political fighting between

Salem Town (Merchants, Shipping) and Salem Village (Farming)

Salem Village vs. Salem Town

Farming Less and less land

available No Meeting House

(Church) & have to travel to Salem Town

Wants independence from Salem Town

Merchants, Shipping Meeting House Political Power


Village wanted independence from the town.

Finally compromise allowed village to have own minister and meeting house, but they were still tied politically to TOWN

Political Power


Tension between rich and poor in village

East Village: Rich land, roads, access to market

West Village: Poor land, no roads, difficult to access market

More prosperous with trade to Europe

More $ = More Power = More Political influence

Town collected Taxes from the Village


Problem of “revolving ministers”

Village supports Reverend Parris

Factions develop in Village (Anti vs Pro Parris)

Opposed Parris


ANTI- Parris Villagers Small businessmen whose livelihoods depend on the Town

Prosperous village farmers with access to town market,

Most of the accused witches came from this group

Why?

Against Parris


PRO Parris Villagers Middle income farmers and church members,

poor farmers who were not church members

leading citizens who make the accusations

Why?

Against Parris

The Crucible

Documents

Transcript of The Crucible