How Important Is Cotton Mather's Participation In The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials will always be known as one of the worst uses of the law against people. Thanks to them and the people who took part in the trials we now have a more fair and equal law system in the United States. One of the most prominent people from these trials is Cotton Mather. Cotton Mather was a teacher at the Old North Church, Boston, where his father was minister. Cotton Mather’s support of, and unrelenting participation in, the Salem Witch Trials is staggering to say the least.

The early life of Cotton Mather was unlike that of most other people living in the sixteenth century. His father Increase Mather was born in Dorchester, Boston, MA on June 21, 1639. His mother Maria Cotton was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February

They then went on to teach Cotton Mathers the puritans beliefs. The puritan were a sect of Christian beliefs that originated in new England around the late sixteenth century. Some of their beliefs included that they thought that everyone was already condemned to Hell or are already promised going into Heaven. This belief is what separated them from the other sect of Christianity. Cotton Mather was born Feb. 12, 1663, Boston, Massachusetts. Cotton Mather was born raised and died in Boston, Massachusetts. At twelve He entered Harvard and easily passed the requirements to enter which were the ability to read and write Latin and to “decline the Greek nouns and verbs.” This was because his parents excepted him to become great just like his father, according to notablebiographies.com the stress made him have a stutter “Cotton knew he was expected by both his parents to follow in his father's footsteps. That tall order prompted him to be a very serious child whose fear of failing showed up in a stutter when he spoke. It took Cotton years of practice and prayer to overcome

There were two Salems in the late sixteenth century one being known as Salem town and the other as Salem village. Salem town is what is now known as modern Salem. It sat on the Massachusetts Bay and had a large population. Salem village, on the other hand, was a small village around ten miles inland. The population was only around five hundred. In the village there was much social discourse centered around the two major families living there. According to britannica.com the fighting was over land and money “the well-heeled Porters, who had strong connections with Salem Town’s wealthy merchants, and the Putnams, who sought greater autonomy for the village and were the standard-bearers for the less-prosperous farm families. Squabbles over property were commonplace, and litigiousness was rampant.” In 1689 the Putnam’s influence helped Samuel Parris become the pastor of the village’s Congregational church. He brought his wife, their three children, a niece, and two slaves with him. Parris was the man to bring the Puritan belief into the village of Salem. With it Paris also brought a bigger split of ideals. The village was now split between pro- and anti- Parris factions. One of the slaves that Parris brought with him was a woman whose name was Tituba. She had to take care of the children while Samuel and his wife were out visiting the other people of the parish. Tituba