Description
WITCH HUNTS
Another legacy of the Puritans, and perhaps one of the most often referenced moments in American history, was the witchcraft trials in Salem, Massachusetts. This dark event in our past is also a part of our culture and heritage.
In this activity, you will be researching the historical context of the Salem witch trials, as well as evaluating documents from the time period in order to:
- Find, analyze, and interpret facts about an event based on web resources
- Develop and express empathetic responses
- Draw conclusions and evaluate the validity of trial testimony
To begin, follow this link to SAS Curriculum Pathways Web Lesson 550. If prompted, enter melody9off as the Student User Name, then click Log In. (If you need a quick launch number, use 550.)
Complete the "Steps to Follow" and submit your two writing activities here. You may want to copy and save the "Evaluating Evidence" handout to your own word processing program to highlight or underline within the document.
Compose a short essay disputing five of Cotton Mather's pieces of "evidence" used during the Salem trials. You should have an introductory paragraph, one paragraph for each piece of evidence in which you evaluate his argument and present your own interpretation, and a concluding paragraph.
Explanation & Answer
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Cotton Mather
It is nearly impossible to research the Salem Witch Trials without running across the
name Cotton Mather. There were few as influential to the Puritan community as Mather. Mather
directed moral compass of Puritans throughout the Salem Witch Trials. While most historians
agree that Mather was heavily involved with the Salem Witch Trials, there is much dispute as to
his intentions in relation to his involvement.
One of the first instances in which Cotton Mather was involved in the Salem Witch Trials
was in a publication he entitled Remarkable Providences. In Remarkable Providences Mather
describes his experience with the Goodwin family located in Boston. Mather believed that the
children of the Goodwin family were possessed by evil spirits, with Martha, 13 years of age, as
the ...
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