A Delusion of Satan
Ted Ford
Dr. Strickland
November 29, 2010
History 101
A Delusion of Satan A Delusion of Satan, was written by Frances Hill and covers in the personal situations of the people in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The book opens up describing the intense and strict life style of the Puritan. Then we go into discussion of the town of Salem at the time, being owned by mainly the Putman family. The pastor there, Samuel Parris, has lived there in Salem since 1689. He resides with his wife, his children, niece (Abigail Williams), and two
Caribbean Indian slaves, Tituba and John Indian. The Parris family also had two other children with them which was common during this time. Then Abigail and one of Parris’s daughters,
Betty, began to have odd tantrums and the conclusion to why suddenly the girls were acting this way, was that they were possessed by Satan. Doctors were called in but the only diagnosis was the possession of the devil. Suspicions were then placed on the Indian slave Tituba because it was understood by the people in Salem that she practiced witchcraft. Eventually, Tituba and the neighbors Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne were arrested for causing harm to Abigail and Betty.
While on trial, the judge Hawthorne new in his mind and heart that they were guilty. Their trial could be said to be quite unfair. During the trial, Tibuba did admit to practicing witchcraft however, it is unclear whether or not Samuel Parris was persuading her to admit to it or not. The first person accused among the church was Martha Cory, who was accused of bewitching three people. Then Mrs. Puttman’s mother dies and she joins the accusations, which is a critical moment since the Puttman’s own most of Salem. Soon, the entire village was accusing one another for being involved in witchcraft. It was literally full blown chaos. At the end of it all, twenty people were hung, four died in jail, and hundreds more were sent to
Dr. Strickland
November 29, 2010
History 101
A Delusion of Satan A Delusion of Satan, was written by Frances Hill and covers in the personal situations of the people in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The book opens up describing the intense and strict life style of the Puritan. Then we go into discussion of the town of Salem at the time, being owned by mainly the Putman family. The pastor there, Samuel Parris, has lived there in Salem since 1689. He resides with his wife, his children, niece (Abigail Williams), and two
Caribbean Indian slaves, Tituba and John Indian. The Parris family also had two other children with them which was common during this time. Then Abigail and one of Parris’s daughters,
Betty, began to have odd tantrums and the conclusion to why suddenly the girls were acting this way, was that they were possessed by Satan. Doctors were called in but the only diagnosis was the possession of the devil. Suspicions were then placed on the Indian slave Tituba because it was understood by the people in Salem that she practiced witchcraft. Eventually, Tituba and the neighbors Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne were arrested for causing harm to Abigail and Betty.
While on trial, the judge Hawthorne new in his mind and heart that they were guilty. Their trial could be said to be quite unfair. During the trial, Tibuba did admit to practicing witchcraft however, it is unclear whether or not Samuel Parris was persuading her to admit to it or not. The first person accused among the church was Martha Cory, who was accused of bewitching three people. Then Mrs. Puttman’s mother dies and she joins the accusations, which is a critical moment since the Puttman’s own most of Salem. Soon, the entire village was accusing one another for being involved in witchcraft. It was literally full blown chaos. At the end of it all, twenty people were hung, four died in jail, and hundreds more were sent to