9 18 14_peer_into_the_ world_salem_1692
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“The Trial of George Jacobs, August 5, 1692”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1855.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Discuss what you think is happening in the picture.
Who are these people?
“The Trial of George Jacobs, August 5, 1692”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1855.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Discuss what you think is happening in the picture.
Who are these people?
“The Trial of George Jacobs, August 5, 1692”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1855.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Discuss what you think is happening in the picture.
Who are these people?
People affected by witchcraft faint
Young girl accusing George Jacobs of being a
Warlock
George Jacobs – accused of witchcraft
What do you think this lady is doing?
Hanged in
Salem,
New England,
1692
The people of Salem suffered a great deal
prior to 1692. Taxes were high and a
number of people were killed by Indians,
who were thought to be agents of the
Devil.
In fact the people of Salem who had
arrived as colonists from Europe before
1692 suffered so many hardships that it is
no wonder that many thought that the
Devil was amongst them causing things
to go wrong.As you know belief in witchcraft was not new in the 1600’s. In
England the church had given licenses to ministers to cast out devils
and Matthew Hopkins had been employed to round up witches for
execution.
Events in Salem, Massachusetts, New
England
George Jacobs was an old man who had to have the aid of two sticks
while walking. When accused of witchcraft and taken before the
magistrates, one of whom began the trial with the words, “Here are
those that accuse you of acts of witchcraft”, George Jacobs replied
bravely, “Well, let us hear who are they and what are they.”
When his servant stood forward and accused him of
practising witchcraft George Jacobs replied with:
“You tax me for a wizard: you may as well tax me for
a buzzard. I have done no harm.” The magistrates
asked him to recite the Lord’s Prayer and he
apparently “missed out several parts of it”.
George Jacobs was condemned
to death and hung in 1692.
Attacks by Indians 1689-1691
The children
named people within the
community who they said were witches
The children were said to be
bewitched when they fell into fits
Children in Salem met to practice Occult Arts
Twenty people were hung and hundreds
arrested due to the accusations
The trials ended in 1693. No ‘witch’
was killed again in the American
Colonies
These paintings and illustrations have been reproduced with the kind permission of
Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts. Click upon the picture that you would like to
study
Next set of pictures
“Examination of a witch”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1854.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
What do you think is happening here?
“Examination of a witch”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1854.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Who do you think this person is supposed to be?
“Examination of a witch”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1854.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
What do you think is happening here?
“Examination of a witch”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1854.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
What do you think is happening here?
“Examination of a witch”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1854.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Who do you think this person is?What is he doing?
“Examination of a witch”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1854.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Who do you think this person is?What may his job be?
“Examination of a witch”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1854.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
What may this man be trying to do?
“Examination of a witch”. By T.H. Matteson, Oil on canvas, 1854.(Photo by Mark Sexton). Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Witch Tests and Trials
Witch examinations often involved looking for a witch-
mark. This was supposed to be where familiars sucked
blood from
the witch.
Sometimes large pins were pushed into the witch-mark. If
the person did not cry out in pain (or if she did not bleed from
the wound!) she was a witch.
Other witches were ducked or thrown into water with their
hands tied. If they sank (and drowned!) they were said
to be innocent and if they floated they were guilty
and hung or burnt.
These paintings and illustrations have been reproduced with the kind permission of
Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts.
Click upon the picture that you would like to study
Recap
Here is an example of some of the punishments that were used during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries.
"Old Boston Town House Square, about 1657“ Stocks Old Boston Townhouse, ca, 1657
Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts
Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
What do you think is happening in this picture?
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Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
What do you think is happening in this picture?
Click the forward arrow for more help
Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
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Highlight areas of the picture that you would like to discuss
Courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Who can you see and what are they doing?
Why did people treat those suspected of witchcraft in this way?
THE END
Image courtesy of Peabody Essex Museum, Salem,
Massachusetts.