Salem Witch Hysteria And Trials - 1620 Words

Salem Witch Hysteria and Trials Joshua Furman History 121: Early America to the Civil War Dr. Phillip Hamilton November 18, 2015  The Salem Witch Trial consisted of heinous accusations implicated by Cotton Mather which effected society as a hole and gave reasoning to the numerous amount of witch stories we hear today. Cotton Mather was the eldest son of Increase Mather, Massachusetts most influential and well known Puritan minister, and the grandson of John Cotton, Salem’s spiritual founder. Cotton Mather was born in Boston Massachusetts and attended Harvard University, receiving an honors degree from Glasgow University. Mather was pastor of Boston s second protestant church and began his journey into politics in 1689.†¦show more content†¦Mather eventually casted out the demons residing in the Godwin children by fasting, prayer, and patient reassurance. Todays readers may find Mather’s publications to be gullible, but he claims these articles are factual detailed observations. Mather’s latter work targets numerous purposes. Firstly, â€Å"Wonders of the Invisible Worldâ₠¬ , 1is Massachusetts official defense of the court s verdict and testimony regarding witchcraft. Secondly, it is Mather s involvement to the six most well known cases of Salem witchcraft. He supports his account with a discussion on the devil s purpose described in the bible, with previously delivered sermons, and with his own investigations. Mather exposed Satan s scheme to overthrow Salem’s churches, and also recommends Increase Mather to reject the use of spectral evidence as grounds for conviction and condemning confessions of witchcraft obtained under torturing the accused. Lastly, Mather defended the court s assessment and supported the government s position, but he also voiced his concern with the court s manner in the matter. 1 Mather preached his first sermon at the age of 17 and was an ordained minster at the age of twenty-two. Besides his involvement with the Salem Witch Trials in 1962, he is also remembered as one of the most influential Puritan ministers of the seventeenth century. Although he never achieved his father s success, he made a name for himself through