Puritan social norms and the Salem witch panic
6. Think of three examples of inversion during the Salem witch trials, by which established Puritan
hierarchies were turned upside down (I.e. the weak and marginalized exercise authority and power; the
respected or normally powerful are vilified and cast out). Note: Inversion is more extreme than simple
violation of rules or standards, so don’t include those who simply violated Puritan standards. Inversion is
a reversal of the normal order of things.
4. What are three examples of accused individuals who fit the profile of someone you’d expect to
be accused of witchcraft. When was each accused, relatively early or relatively late in the witch panic?
5. What are three examples of unlikely individuals who were accused of witchcraft. In each case,
when were they accused, earlier in the course of the panic, or later?
6. Early on, what happened to community members who publicly criticized the accusers and the
general proceedings?
7. Identify two or three examples of individuals who violated Puritan standards of conduct within
marriage. What was the nature of the violation in each case?
External developments and witch fears
8. External developments in the 1680s, both overseas in England and at home in New England,
combined to create anxiety and feed fears that God was punishing the colony for its religious failures.
What were the principal developments, and how did they affect Essex County, where Salem Town and
Salem Village were located?
9 In the thinking of many Puritans, including influential figures such as the Mathers, what did
French Catholics, native Americans and witches have in common?
10. The wilderness held different meanings for the Puritans. What were some of them?
11. What is meant by the term “the hedge of Grace”?
Instructions:
1) please answer each question separatly and tag with their question number.
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