Witchcraft trials have proven to be a popular historical topic because they reveal religious tensions and fears within seventeenth century Puritan communities. As Richard Godbeer noted in the books afterword ( which you must read),we typically define a witch hunt as the hysterical response to events that he sought to capture the blend of supernatural belief and deliberate caution that characterized events in Stamford,Connecticut.
Using only the sources listed below,write a 5 page paper that analyzes the ways in which Puritanism helped or harmed the Branch investigation and the trials of Goodwives Disborough and Clawson. (Be sure to provide a clear thesis and to briefly define what Godbeer means by “supernatural”. Your conclusion should indicate how the Branch trials helped us to better understand the importance of law and religion in seventeenth century New England.
Sources:
1. Richard Godbeer,Escaping Salem The other witch hunt of1692. (New York:Oxford University Press 2005)
2. Eric Foner, Give me Liberty! An American History (New York W.W Norton, 2013)
3. Elizabeth Reis,Confess or Deny? What’s a Witch to Do? OAHU Magazine of History,Vol 17,no 4(July,2003)11-13