Dorcas Hoar's Case Of Salem Town And Village

Amidst a period of colonization and pilgrimage, mass hysteria took root in the Essex County of what is now Massachusetts, in two communities of Salem. The role of “witch” was taken on by a mass of people, many of whom had been profiled as malevolent through underlying societal prejudices. Through an examination of Dorcas Hoar's case, we gain insight into the complex web of fear that characterized this chapter in history and drove so many to accuse their neighbors. While each trial was different, the trials of Dorcas Hoar work to uncover the aspects of an afflicted woman whose end was predetermined by her unconscious adherence to what John Demos ascribed to be the driving forces of witchcraft accusation. Through an examination of historical

Within the communities, full of accusations and manufactured convictions lived Dorcas Hoar, one of the accused. Notable for her role as the accused in the cases of Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Walcott, Abigail Williams and Anne Putnam,1 faced many depositions following the issuing of a mittimus in May of 1692, which condemned her and others to the courts of Salem Town2. Though her indictment changed the trajectory of the latter half of her life, her formative years provide insight into how Dorcas’ reputation reached one of malice. Prior to her indictment, Dorcas Hoar, often referenced as Goody Hoar in court documents, lived with her husband, the late William Hoar and their children in Beverly of Essex County in the proximity of John Hale.3 In Hale’s testimony reverse, dated September 6th of 1692 he

Through his examination of statistics and historical records, Demos concluded that many of the accused in Salem fit within a framework that when combined led to the perfect suspect. The 9-points are as follows: gender, age, background + early life, marital & child-bearing status, pattern of family relationships, record of social and criminal deviance, occupational history, social & economic position, personal style, character & experiences as perceived by the outside world.10 Regarding the first three points, Demos believes that during the time of the crisis, women, specifically middle-aged woman, were greatly represented in the arrest numbers when examining the accused. Disadvantageous to the lower social circles in the communities and previously accused, those whose background connected them genetically or socially to a known witch was cause enough for condemnation. While Dorcas Hoar, a middle-aged woman, was not related to another known witch, her associations with those who had been publicly connected to witchcraft contributed to her guilty appearance. Looking back at the testimony of John Hale, the lines “told me of a book of palmstry she had,” and “that I might be better satisfied.” I asked Thomas Tuck if he knew Goody Hoar to have a book of