US History - Final Edition.PDF

US HISTORY Professor : Agnès TROUILLET – Agnè[email protected] Lecture 1: From pre-colonial Era to the first English Settlement Introduction: Settlement of the first English colonies in North America The “American Colonies” also called the “Thirteen Colon...

US HISTORY Professor : Agnès TROUILLET – Agnè[email protected] Lecture 1: From pre-colonial Era to the first English Settlement Introduction: Settlement of the first English colonies in North America The “American Colonies” also called the “Thirteen Colonies” were the 13 colonies that were settled during the 17th Century and early 18th Century in what is now part of the eastern United States. They were a very small fraction of the whole country (of the future Canada and US). By 1775: there were around 2.5 million of inhabitants. 1763: Proclamation line signed under the reign of King Georges to end the war (which was very costly) against the French who were receiving help from the (American) Indians. The success of colonies was because of the: - Economic opportunity and available land = which encouraged marriage and large families. - Colonist multiplied despite disease and hardships and due to continuing immigration from Britain (for work) Colonies were a land of success because of crops of which Tobacco (major crop). But there was a high need for labor, and so it was the start of the slave trade for plantations. 49 Acres of Land was given in exchange for the travel of the family across the ocean. Colonies particularly welcomed Protestants (especially in New England) Many of them were also sent against their wills: convicts, political prisoners and enslaved Africans. = The American population doubled every generation. A colonist A colonist is a member of a government backed group that settles in a new country or region. The land that’ claimed by a colonist is usually already occupied by another grp of people. A bachelor A man who has never married An unwed woman A woman who is not married A widower A man whose wife is dead especially one who has not remarried. / / a widow A woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried. Homeland The country where you were born A convict A person who has been convicted of a criminal offense. Pre-colonial Era and incentives for Colonization American population with millions of Indians. 1 Territory in South Carolina and North America inhabited by Indian Population for Thousands of Years, yet Europeans were unaware of the Americas before the 15th Century.  Incentives for colonization grew by the end of the 15 th Century. Commerce and Nationalism 1 They might be Asians who migrated to North America between 16 000BC – 14 000BC  - Growth of the European Population in the 15 th century = Emergence of the merchant class: they bring goods, and their travel techniques also improved very much. - Emergence of more united and powerful governments: they want to enrich their lands. - 14th Century: Marco polo in Asia - 15th Century: Portuguese are very good navigators, yet the Spanish are the first to enter America. - 1492: Christopher Columbus discovers America 2. They go in search for gold but: ➔ Bring disease to the indigenous population: They want to go against the colons but are too weak. European exploration and conquest, 1492-1583 in Brinkley’s, The Unfinished Nation, p.9 Colonization: In the early 17th Century: there were three major colons: 2  - Spain - France: which was troubled by wars, so settled slowly - England: which was the last to enter the competition, but eventually planted firm settlements from Maine to Georgia (see Map pg.1) Motives for colonization: - Political, Religious, Economical reasons - Many saw a way to contribute to enlarge the influence of Homeland - Foremost private companies in: fur, tobacco, sugar, in North America and the Caribbean attracted English Merchants. - Commercial Trading Companies helped English Men in their venture across the Atlantic. (= Charte d’Exploitation) Motives for Colonization Commerce 1606: 2 Charted Companies: ▪ The Virginia Company ▪ The Plymouth Company The shareholders were to provide settlers and capital, to control production and trade. But the English Crown controlled the government. 3 ships were sent : - 1606: Captain John Smith (thanks to him, we now have the Map of Virginia) - 1607: Foundation of Jamestown: (120 men encountered starvation, etc.) - 1611: 300 more persons came to Jamestown + Livestock was brought there + they started cultivating tobacco. Motives for colonization: Religious Persecution In England: Anglicanism, division between the English church and the Anglican Church. Protestants (Dissenters) protested against the Catholics churches. They turned to colonies and looked for New England. These Pilgrims had no money to look after themselves, so they turned to Merchants who promised them land against 7 years of labor.  Sep 1890: The Mayflower arrived at venture in New England. 102 people arrived (and now many of their descendants are still there). Not only pilgrim fathers came, but also other people. Without the help of indigenous people, they would have not survived 3 The Mayflower compact(contract) was signed on board: it is stipule that everyone would obey the rules and ensure the order of the colonies. o God is repeated all though the compact = Shows their religiousness of the people, and their ability to abide 3 It is the idea behind Thanksgiving. Lecture 2 and 3: Colonial diversity The Colony in the US is not a Profit Colony but a Settlement Colony. Colonies are all Different and that diversity is going to mean something for the construction of the US after this Colonial Era. The English Came after the French and the Spanish (17th - 19th), but they expanded their powers much larger than the others. (The great Awakening: Very important Religious Mvt) (See Map p.2) INTRODUCTION: As the colonies grew and became me more and more prosperous, they became more English, so many of the people living there considered themselves English. However, the type of life in America was very diverse depending on where you lived. This area also attracted people from other countries such as Scotland, European countries, Russia... The colonies reproduced the English lifestyle, they were becoming more and more similar to the Britons, but they were also shaped by their own characteristics from their regions, and by that they became more different. From the 1700s: they outdid the other colonies by encouraging people to come over. There were thousands of English immigrants who arrived in the Chesapeake Bay colonies of Virginia and Maryland to work in tobacco fields. A stream of pious Puritan families established Plymouth Massachusetts Bay, New Haven, Connecticut, and Rhode Island colonies of New England. Colonial Growth and Expansion 1707: Great Britain (England + Scotland) and the British Empire expands. = mid-1700s GB = commercial and military power, and at the same time the population doubled faster. The English took the colonies of the Dutch. NY and NJ + established the Carolinas and Pennsylvania as proprietary colonies (private). They were able to supply goods to England (Rice/Indigo). That is why thousands of Europeans migrated to English America, as well as the forced migration of African Slaves. Effects of Colonization: Europeans brought changes virtually to every aspect of the lives of its people (indigenous people) trade, hunting, warfare, and personal properties. + they also brought European ideas, goods, and diseases. Societies were also changed by becoming more divided along religious and racial lines. Most people were not free = 'indentured servants' (serviteur sous contrat : ils ont un contrat dans lequel il est écrit qu'ils seraient nourris et logés jusqu'à leur 21 ans) or slaves By 1700 the American continent was a place of contrast between who was free and who was not. They wanted to exchange for fur and pelts, in exchange for kettles, knives, guns, copper kettles etc. they also bought animals, cattle This changed the material cultures of the Indians, = many tribes became dependent on European trade items + their population devastated by European disease. 1. Population A diverse colonial population: New England: educated, agricultural and rapid population growth Middle colonies: different ethnic and religious groups, tolerance policies. Frontier: immigrant influx due to the cheap land availability. Southern colonies: Mix of wealthy elite, indentured servants and slaves from Africa. 17th Century: most of the population was of English origin, the second largest group being of African Heritage 18th Century: Germans and Scotch Irish immigrants arrived in large numbers + from the Netherlands, Scotland, and France. New England was almost entirely English. In the other colonies: the English were the most numerous. Everybody from everywhere spoke English, that is why English culture and language prevailed. = The Melting Pot By 1763, people in the colonies started to see themselves as "Americans" with a strong sense of identity. By 1776: - 85% of the white population was of English, Irish, Scottish, or Welsh descent. - 9% were Germans - 4% were Dutch WASP = White Anglo Saxon Protestants (a culture specific to them) Over 90% were farmers, making it a largely agricultural society. Several small Cities were mostly settled on the seaside, so they were seaports. Many new immigrants settled on the frontiers, where the lands were cheaper. By 1780: about 287 000 slaves have been imported mostly into the southern colonies. New England is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Puritans created self-governing communities of religious congregations composed of yeomen farmers (independent farmers) and their families. Yeoman farmers = non-slaveholding or with very few slaves, small landowners, and self- sufficient for their families. How is land distributed? Land is given to male settlers (had to be white and not a criminal), and men of high social standing had more land. Yet every man had more than enough to support their families. New England colonists = English, Scottish, and Irish origin - Well-educated and skilled farmers, tradesmen, and craftsmen - Settled in small villages - Region initially dominated by Puritans - Mainly: commerce, fisheries, and shipbuilding were important in seaports - Lowest death rate (due to climate) and highest birth rate out of all colonies - Widespread education (Harvard, Princeton, Yale) - There were public schools, so children attended schools. Mid-Atlantic population: most come from new immigration (German, Swiss, Irish, Scots) By 1750: NY + NJ + Pennsylvania = nearly 300,000 people. William Penn founded Pennsylvania in 1682, attracted British Quakers (religious liberty, freehold ownership) NY became a major trading center after 1700. Pennsylvania was dominated by Quakers until 1725, with many settlers from Protestant sects. Philadelphia was the main commercial center. There was also a large influx of Germans, called "redemptioners" or indentured servants. By 1775, they made up 1/3 of the population. German farmers were very skilled in husbandry (élevage) and agriculture. The western frontiers were settled from the beginning of the 18th century, mostly by: Georgia was a second chance place, and initially, slaves were not allowed. Southern colonies: - Wealthy planters (Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina) - Enslaved Africans represented much of the population  By 1715, there was a black majority in South Carolina. Virginia: - Indentured servants made up 80% of the population in the 17th century. The Carolinas: - Quick development of slavery led to wealthy white planters. - By 1715, there was a black majority in South Carolina. Georgia: - A province for the resettlers. 2. Economic Structure New England: - Sense of when there was an assembly, every male citizen (as long as he was not a slave or criminal) had a voice. It was somewhat democratic. - The congregational church was limited (Puritans), and they had a limited membership as they believed only a select number of people were chosen by God. - During the assembly, they would decide about taxes, road constructions, and manage the palace. The Middle Colonies: - There were numerous immigrants, and most of them were artisans or small farmers. - Of course, there were merchants and rich farmers, but not many. - There was already a strong contrast by 1750 in the division by wealth and: The Southern Colonies: - They were mostly worked by slaves consisting of Africans on the plantations. Slavery: - Colonies that specialized in goods such as sugar or coffee relied heavily on slavery, resulting in the highest per capita income in North America. Slaves had no legal rights, as they were not considered human, which made it an oppressive system. They became slaves generation after generation.  Agriculture, Industry, Trade: The promotional pamphlets did not bring people in as quickly as expected. English investors often turned their colony charters over to settlers, so the colonists were left to build their own communities and governments. In New England, shipbuilding was very prevalent. There was a lot of wood available, a lot of timber to build ships and houses, and since they were close to the sea, they were very much organized around fishing. There were many merchants because of the coming and going of ships and goods. In the mid-Atlantic: mostly small farmers, growth after 1720 due to rising demand for wheat, flaxseed, and corn. With these higher demands, production changed. South: Tobacco, indigo, and rice were grown for export on plantations. Colonial Cities Colonial cities were mostly seaports. By the mid-18th century, there were 25,000 people in Philadelphia and 15,000 in New York. Merchants were at the top of the seaport society, and then specialized professionals made up the middle class. Finally, at the bottom were Dockers, small artisans, and many African Americans, both enslaved and free. Education It was mostly the responsibility of families, and there were many religious groups that taught children to read so they could read the Bible. New England is where they wrote a lot. It is where the first printing center in the colonies was located. They had more writing and production in terms of the colonies than all the other colonies combined. And then a lot of Germans came, so since there were a lot of skilled printers in Germany, Philadelphia, rapidly developed in terms of printing.  3. Religion Varied religious landscapes - Puritans in New England - Quakers and religious freedom in the middle colonies - The Anglican Church of England in most of the South - Presbyterians on the frontier - The colony of Maryland was initially used as a refuge for Catholics and since the lands were cheap, it attracted Protestants, who then became a majority of the population. Evolution of Protestantism The first Great Awakening: a time where there were a lot of sects: Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, etc. Mennonites, Moravians, Methodists, Deists. The First Great Awakening During the 18th century, the colonies felt religious piety was revitalized between the 1730s and 1740s and part of a broader movement taking place at the same time in England, Scotland, Germany. Evangelists from several Protestant denominations: Congregationalists, Anglicans (members of the Church of England), and Presbyterians. They rejected formal modes of worship and promoted a vigorous emotional religiosity. ===> Martin Luther / Jean Calvin Luther and Calvin: predestination and reading of scriptures VS New evangelical ministers (les évangéliques) : personal and experiential faith. = Individuals can earn their own salvation by accepting Christ. = Welcomed those excluded by traditional Protestantism. So that is why there was an emergence of different Protestant denominations (Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists. = The new Churches compete with older Protestant groups (Anglicans, Congregationalists- heirs of Puritanism, Quakers) It first appeared in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and spread to New England, and some were happy because they were those who were 'mistreated' by = Emotionally charged sermons to convince them to convert people. They would use images of hell, human corruption, that expected you to convert. = Preachers evoking terrifying image of human corruption and the terrors awaiting the unrepentant in hell.  CONCLUSION: The population grew steadily; they also grew, the economy became more sophisticated and diverse. Most White Americans believed they were fully a part of the British empire, yet it was a world vastly different from England. And there were many distinct societies, especially: North: small family farms, town, and cities; commercial class, urban culture. South: large plantation of Tobacco, rice, indigo, cotton; relying heavily on African slaves. Most white Americans accepted racial inequality, tolerated African enslavement, justified displacement, and violence against Natives. Moreover, white, and non-white Americans were deeply religious: Great Awakening impact. LECTURE 4: Slavery and Indentured Servitude 1790: More than one in three in South Carolina were slaves.  I. FACTS AND NUMBERS Slavery South: Large plantations of tobacco, rice, indigo, cotton; relied heavily on African slaves By 1780: about 287,000 slaves have been imported, most into the southern colonies Enslaved Africans represent 1/3 of the population (Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia) Indenture Servitudes New England and the middle colonies (not Maryland): prevalent system Most of the people in the colonies are in servitude. They were the original standard for forced labor in new England Indentured servants were the original standard for forced labor in New England and middle colonies like Pennsylvania and Delaware. These indentured servants were people voluntarily working off debts, usually signing a contract to perform slave-level labor for four to seven years. Historians estimate that more than half of the original population of the American colonies was brought over as indentured servants. Indentured servitude was the prominent system of labor in the colonies until it was eventually supplanted by slavery. The system was then so prominent that more than half of all immigrants to British colonies south of New England were white servants, and that nearly half of total white immigration to the Thirteen Colonies came under indenture. By the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in 1775, only 2 to 3 percent of the colonial labor force was composed of indentured servants. II. INDENTURED SERVITUDE Indenture: a contract binding one person to work for another for a given period of time Indentured servants/ Redemptioners were European immigrants, generally in the 18th or early 19th century, who gained passage to American Colonies by selling themselves into indentured servitude to pay back the shipping company which had advanced the cost of the transatlantic voyage For women it was mostly domestic Even people with little money could have a servant to not do menial and time- consuming work. You don’t have to be a plantation owner. It was a temporary servitude (four or five) in exchange for passage to America, food, and shelter, not very different from in England where they would sell themselves to have a roof and some food. Male indentured often left with nothing vs. Clothing, tools, occasionally land upon completion of service. Female indentures, mostly, domestic servants, expected to marry when terms of servitude expired. By the late 17th: They were the largest population: social ‘unrest’ as most males without land and without employment once their service ended. Some former indentured succeeded in establishing as farmers, traders or artisans. Some women married men with property Others ended up without land, employment or family. In the 18th century: Economic conditions improved in England. = less burden on younger generations so they would stay in England Lesser births. Immigration to America was cheaper And they would avoid Southern colonies because they know they wouldn't climb socially. “All importations of white servants is ruined... we must make more general use of Slaves” - a Philadelphia merchant in 1756 Indentured servitude differed from slavery: An agreed upon of unpaid labor to pay the cost of immigrations to America. Indentured servants received no wages, but they were generally housed, clothed and fed. Servants were not considered as property and were free when their indentures ended. Nevertheless, servants were often subject to physical abuse. Indentured servitude was very widespread in colonial America: 17th Cent: Almost 2/3 of the British settlers 80% of European immigrants to America were ‘redemptioners’ Most redemptioners came from Britain or Germany and were imported to Philadelphia Mostly were under 20 and died before the end of their contracts In the 18th Century: indenture decreased, and slave labor increased. III. Slavery From 1526 to 1776 developed from complex factors. Slavery strongly correlated with the European colonies’ demand for labor, especially for labor in intensive plantation economies of the sugar colonies in the Caribbean and South America, operated by Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and the Dutch Republic. During the 18th century England dominated that slave, they export African 6 million = climax of the slave trade. More than half bought most profitable markets for England at that time. By the mid 18th, there were one in three merchants from England were involved in transportation of slaves. But they were not plantations and merchants who profited but all although it might be indirect. The colonies would send (oat, corn, wheat...) sent to the west indies. Everybody was involved in slaves trade and profited from. It stimulated consumer society, because before, there weren't coffee drinkers or sugar user. Slave-ships of the Atlantic slave trade transported captives for slavery from Africa to the Americas. Indigenous people were also enslaved in the North American colonies, but on a smaller scale, and Indian slavery largely ended in the late eighteenth century. Enslavement of Indigenous people did continue to occur in the Southern states until the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 (==> JIM CROW LAWS) Slave status became hereditary: - Children born in the colonies determined by the mother (partus sequitur ventrem) - Children born to enslaved women were born enslaved, regardless of paternity - Children born to free women were free, regardless of ethnicity. [The Modern Medea, 1867(but the event took place in 1859 so before civil war)] = killed 2 of her daughters so as not to let them experience what she experienced The Modern Medea, 1867 Slave and Empire Every colony in British America had slaves in the 18th Century. Slavery impacted colonial society and culture: it gave white colonists an exaggerated sense of their own status /the unfree class of black slaves. = a shared racial bond identity. Slavery impacted colonial society and culture: it gave white colonists an exaggerated sense of their own status /the unfree class of black slaves. = a shared racial bond identity. Increasing labor demand: Among the people who came there were some who knew how to do cultivation. So, they came with skills. And they were from tropical regions and so they were used to the weather. Planters favored indentures slavery. So, it became a cornerstone of the colonial economy. SLAVERY / WORK ON A COTTON PLANTATION Transport of salves accelerated in the second half of the 17th century. At the time 20% died in the middle passage: 125,000 slaves brought between 1672 and 1713--20% died on the ‘’Middle Passage’’, the ‘journey’ from African to North America Mainly to the southern colonies: tobacco, rice, and latter cotton required large labor forces. By the 19th century, many southern planters favoured natural reproduction over importation. This is how there were doc to see the health of women on plantations: another way of really consolidation this culture of slavery.  The Triangular Trade: The three main commodities: labor, crops and manufactured goods, were traded in the three key Atlantic regions: slaves were transported to the Americas; sugar, tobacco and cotton were exported to Europe; textiles, rum and manufactured goods were sent to Africa. It is estimated that between the late 16 th and the early 19th century: 9.4 to 12 M Africans arrived in the new world. The Middle Passage: - The stage where people from Africa were shipped to the new world. - The transatlantic voyage duration varied from 1 to 6 months - An estimated 15% of African slaves died during the middle passage, for an estimated total of death approximatively 2M Slave resistance: - There were uprisings and even armed rebellions: the Stono Rebellion (), the 1741 NY Slave Insurrection. => Followed by were strict punishment - Sabotage, running away, slowing labor rhythm, kill themselves or their children = yet never succeeded in ‘overthrowing’ the system of slavery because not powerful enough = no freedom for most slaves until the Civil War There was at some point a slowing of slavery, especially on cotton plantations. The Cotton gin: lower quality of cotton, but still possible. Lecture 5: Women in Colonial Society Introduction: - Colonial variety, along social and ethnic grp depending on the colony - A woman in colonial America was a Housewife and was responsible for domestic chores and child rearing. - Colonial women had many responsibilities and activities, mostly domestic, and few social rights. The Status Of women in the Colonial ERA: - In New England, the Puritans settlers had brought with very strong religious value, which dictated that a women should be rearing “God-fearing” children. - Wives almost never worked in the fields with their husband. - In German communities in Pennsylvania, many women worked in fields with their husband. - German and Dutch immigrants granted women more control over property, which was against the English law. - Unlike Eng. wives, German and Dutch wives owned their own cloths and other items and were able to write wills disposing of the property brought into marriage. - Not in emancipated position especially in NE where wives were considered as subservient to their husbands and did not own their clothes. - German and Dutch immigrant in the early Southern colonies where all hands were needed. - The first European women who came to the southern colonies: Indentured servants in the Jamestown colony (early 1600S) - The typical European family was headed by a man directing his family and business while his wife - Land owning man and women farmed and built settlements (alongside their servant and their slaves) - 18th century: society reverted to the European model = white women ran the household, managed servants and slaves - Women were taught how to read to learn the bible. - Few were taught to write: no reason for a woman to know how to write. - A colonial woman should de subservient to her father until married, then became subservient to her husband - Ministers often told their congregations that women were inferior to men and more inclined to sin and err - Later, the conception of marriage became more liberal (Enlightenment) - Yet women continued to have very few rights = not allowed to vote = lost most control of their property (if had ant) in marriage = even single women could not make contracts, sue or be sued (until the 18th) - The typical woman in colonial American ran a household and attended to domestic duties: spinning, sewing, preserving food, animal husbandry, cooking and cleaning while raising children - Large families - Dangerous childbearing (death in childbirth was common) - The housewife was expected to be resourceful with the family’s budget - Home manufactured goods were usually created by women: textiles, dairy products - The husband owned the goods and received the money they sold for. - The colonial housewife sometimes helped her husband in agriculture or artisanal enterprises. - Mothers were responsible for the spiritual and civic wellbeing of their children - Good housewife was raising good children who would become citizens of good standing in the community.  - The women had to be dutiful, faithful and subservient to her husband - Legal statues and societal norms allowed husband to exert power over their wives, which could result in violent circumstances. The Diary of Martha Ballard - Martha Moore Ballard (1735-1812), a midwife and healer - Wrote in her diary nearly every day from Jan 1, 1785, to May 12, 1812 (27y) - Almost 1000 entries = an unparallel doc in the early American history = invaluable insight onto the lives of women in the colonial era, on Ballard’s medical practices, on religious conflicts and sexual customs. - Wrote with a quill pen and homemade ink, the diary records numerous babies delivered, and illness treated as she travelled by horse or canoe around the Massachusetts frontier in what is today the state of Maine. - She delivered 816 babies over the years that she wrote her diary and was present at more than 1000 births and even some autopsies. - Writing skills were not considered essential for a girl’s education Yet her ability to write cursive shows that someone in Oxford, Massachusetts int he 1740s was interested in educating girls. A FEW FACTS: - More Men than women who immigrated to the colonies: demographic imbalance. - Few families in proportion to the male population: degree of choice - Once married, under the legal responsibility of their husband - Divorce unusual yet husband of petition for divorce or separation in the 18h Cent Ma  - Some women exercised economic and social responsibilities within the community, schoolteachers - Evolutions of social classes in the 18th century; emergence of a new middling class =women helped their husband (traders, tavern owners, businessmen) II- A Family Portrait in 1741 Massachusetts Robert Feke, “Familienporträt des Isaac Royall” ➔ Upper class ➔ Velvet and silk ➔ Infant holds a gold ivory, coral teething toy shows the wealth of the family - Colonial elite used clothing, house, portraits, furniture, and manners to participate in a culture of gentility that they believed paced them on an equal footing with elites in England. - Robert Feke’s portrait of the Royall family portrays Isaac Robert jr. At age 22, just two years after III- THE SALEM TRIALS - Illustrates concept of society outcast (pariah) perceived as a threat to society = revealing about the role of women and the role of religion in the colonies. - A series of hearings and prosecution of people in the colonies accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. = It resulted in the execution of 20 people, including 14 women. = All but one were hung  = five others (including 2 children) died in prison Puritans' beliefs and witchcraft - New Eng. Puritans believed in the supernatural: = every event in the colonies appeared to be a sign of God’s mercy or judgement = common belief that witches allied themselves with the devil to carry out evil deeds or cause deliberate harm (children sickness or death, cattle loss and other catastrophes) - Women were more susceptible to suspicion of witchcraft in Puritans = perceived to have weaker constitutions = More likely to de inhabited by the devil = women healers particularly at risk of being accused of witchcraft - Hundreds accused of witchcraft, including townspeople whose habits or appearance bothered the neighbours or who appeared threatening for any reason. - Women made up the vast majority of the suspects and those who were executed. - Prior to 1692, rumours of witchcraft in villages neighbouring Salem village Salem Village, February 1692: - Betty Paris, age 9 and her cousin Abigail Williams, age 11 o Fits in which they screamed, threw things, uttered strange sounds, crawled under furniture, and contorted themselves into peculiar positions o No physical evidence of disease found by a doctor o Other young women in the village exhibited similar behaviours o Colonists suspected witchcraft and accusations began to spread The first three people accused and arrested for allegedly causing the afflictions: - Sarah Good (a homeless beggar) - Sarah Osborne (a woman who rarely attended church) - Tituba (an African or American Indian Slave) = each was a kind of outcast = they were left to defend themselves. More women and men were arrested, even people of good standing. = belief that anyone could be a witch = many of the accusers who prosecuted the suspected witches had been traumatized by the American Indian wars on the frontier and by unprecedented political and cultural changes in New England = Believing in witchcraft helped make sense of their changing world.