Once again, let’s begin by silently considering the real people of Salem who were most recently hanged:
George Burroughs, a minister from Maine who used to be a minister in Salem Village. He’d left on bad terms.
Martha Carrier, an outcast suspected of starting a smallpox epidemic that killed her father, two brothers, and four of her extended family.
George Jacobs Sr., an 80-year-old, toothless man who was so tall that he need two canes to walk. He had a violent temper and was known to abuse his servants.
John Proctor, a bold 60-year-old farmer. He was outspoken about his belief that the trials were a sham and the girls were lying.
John Willard, a former deputy who quit when he began to believe he was arresting innocent people.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These are the questions I’ve been asked most often throughout this project.
When is it going to get better? This is such a sad story.
It is sad. Unfortunately this isn’t a story with good guys, a tidy plot, and a satisfying ending. In fact, it isn’t a story at all. It’s more of a recounting, with two more tragic events to come (as of now) before things start getting better.
The most important thing that will make it better is the ”resistance,” which continues to grow. As of now there are two troubled judges, a deputy who quit, 12 people speaking up for one of the accused women, 39 people speaking up for another, 52 speaking up for one of the men, a group of influential ministers asking the court to slow down and be careful, and a crowd of people troubled by two hangings in particular.
Who’s the real bad guy?
A few men take turns wearing the black hat. But my vote goes to Chief Justice William Stoughton, who began each trial assuming the person was guilty, and was so angry and intent on routing out witches that he was merciless and impossible to reason with. Even the governor had trouble standing in his way.
Did the afflicted girls actually believe what they were saying?
It’s possible that a couple of girls believed what they saw or heard was real: the 9-year-old, and one teenager who may have been mentally ill. A few others were so traumatized by past events that they briefly believed what they saw was real. It’s likely, though, that most of the girls knew what they were saying was not true. It’s easy to imagine how intoxicated they were with the attention, since women (especially servants and children) were literally to be seen and not heard in public. Once they claimed to be afflicted, it was hard to backtrack. Several tried, by admitting they were lying. But (ironically) no one believed them, so they were pulled back in.
How many people died?
19 people were hanged, 1 was tortured to death, and at least 6 known people died in prison. (Also, 2 dogs died, but I’m not focusing on that because ow, my broken heart.)
Is everything in this project really true?
This project is factual, with a little gussying up to make it a compelling read. For example, on Aug 19, George Burroughs was hanged.
- Was he really buried with a foot sticking out? Yes, that’s what tradition tells us. (Also his chin, but ew.)
- Did he really recite the Lord’s Prayer, perfectly? Yes.
- Was the crowd angry with his hanging? Yes.
- Did they yell “Stop”? I don’t know. But they must have said something to indicate their anger, so I filled in the blank with a word that clearly the spirit of the truth: that more and more people wanted to ”stop” the trials.
The bigger problem is what I’ve had to leave out. Right now the “cast of characters” includes about 35 people, which is necessary (though still too many). But there are twice as many judges, a whole slew of lawmen, many more afflicted girls and even adult women, and about a hundred people in jail. Not to mention the French and Indian war. It’s … a lot. So while the project is truthful in spirit, It’s not comprehensive.
Where are you getting the images from?
I’m careful to use only royalty-free, full permission stock images. My primary sources are Pixabay, Unsplash, and Pxfuel. I also need to give credit to Nancy Price, my fantastic image researcher and editor.
What’s your next project?
Probably a rewritten and even more simplified version of this to “publish” on KindleVella, a platform for serialized novellas. After that, I think witches will be out of my system, so who knows?
Tomorrow in Salem: SMALL MERCIES: Rev Parris forgives absences