Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt Of 1692

An Insight to Early New England Mentality
In Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692, Richard Godbeer reconstructs a particular witch hunt that is less known than its counterpart, the Salem Witch Trials. This trial, which took place in the Stamford, Connecticut area in the seventeenth century, demonstrated the theologies as well as the natural and supernatural beliefs of early New Englanders. These factors played an important role in how these settlers viewed the world and its peculiar mysteries. The perspectives of key participants, such as Katherine “Kate” Branch, Daniel and Abigail Wescot, Elizabeth Clawson, Mercy Disborough, Sarah Bates, and Jonathan Selleck, displayed the range of reactions and thoughts of early New Englanders regarding

Only two types of evidence were sufficient for the conviction of accused persons. The first was a “voluntary confession of the party suspected,” and the second was the “testimony of two witnesses… avouching… that the party accused hath made a league with the Devil or hath done some known practices of witchcraft” (Godbeer 102). This list of acceptable evidence made it difficult to convict a person accused of witchcraft, for good reasons. The first, and perhaps most obvious, reason was to diminish the conviction of innocent people. Many people in the Salem Witch Trials were convicted without having concrete evidence to prove their guiltiness. The magistrates, especially John Selleck, took precaution in order to prevent that tragedy from happening again. As a result, three types of evidence were assessed to be inadequate grounds. The first main category was the water test, or “ducking.” This type of evidence was debunked by minister Increase Mather because of advanced scientific reasoning. The second type of unacceptable evidence was the use of magic to reveal the faces of witches. The use of magic was discredited due to the belief that “cunning” came from the Devil. The third and final type of disqualified evidence was the testimonies of mishaps that occurred after a disagreement with a suspected witch. This type

The hysteria that occurred in Salem was driven largely by fear. People were frightened by these strange afflictions, recommenced Indian attacks, and the increase of Quakers and Anglicans in the area (Godbeer 166). Consequently, the infamous Salem Witch Trials arose, leading to dozens of accusations and a shocking number of convictions. Its legacy has led many to believe that all early New Englanders were quick to accuse and condemn suspected witches without any concrete evidence. Escaping Salem shatters this belief. Though New Englanders believed in witchcraft due to the uncertainty they had about the world and religion, they were hesitant to condemn, with the exception of Salem colonists. The most notable way New Englanders displayed their precautions was through their justifications for bringing an accused witch to trial. This idea can be seen as a parallel to habeas corpus, a right Americans experience today that allows them to determine if an arrest is lawful. A list for the “Grounds of Examination of a Witch” consisted of seven reasons for holding a trial. Of these seven, only one had to be met to launch an inquiry (Godbeer 91-92). This demonstrated that New Englanders wanted to be certain that a person was rightfully detained and that they had reasonable motives to actually go forth with