Women of the Time
Women’s roles during this era were vastly different than the roles of men, and because of this, a greater number of women were targeted during the Salem witch trials of 1692. Due to previous issues with witchcraft in England and New England society, women were already associated with the devil and the crime of witchcraft. Women were accused more for witchcraft because they did not hold the power that men held in their social, political, and religious society in Salem, Massachusetts.
When witchcraft in Salem became more prominent in 1692, women were targeted because of their positions socially. Breslaw discusses gender in her book, Witches of the Atlantic, and how women were discriminated in the society. Their jobs in the society consisted of mostly household chores and taking care of their children (Breslaw, 284). They had an inferior social status compared to men and were viewed as “physically weak,” which is why they were easy to blame (Breslaw, 285). In Carol F. Karlsen’s book, The Devil in the Shape of a Women, she states that nearly 200 people were accused of witchcraft during the “outbreak” in Salem, and more than three-forth’s of these people were female (Karlsen, 40). The small amount of men that were accused had only been blamed because they were the husband, son, or other male relative of the accused female (Karlsen, 40). Laurie Winn Carlson argues, in her book A Fever in Salem, that the men accused were not put into the public view because of their higher position in Salem’s society (Carlson, 27). Many associate the accused with young women, but in actuality it was women of all ages. According to Karlsen, 44% of the “possessed women” were between sixteen and twenty, 38% were over twenty, and 18% were under sixteen (Karlsen, 39). More attention was drawn to the younger girls who displayed any indication of witchcraft only because they were more likely to have been brought to court or given examinations by doctors, clergy, or other individuals (Carlson, 27). They were also unable to prevent any onlookers with this kind of attention, so the news spread quicker than others who were accused. Women of all ages were accused more for witchcraft because of their social status as females, compared to the status of men.
Women were not held as high up in the political or religious world as well, which is why they were accused more than men. Men held higher political positions, especially in the courts and trials for these occurrences. Men also held high positions in the Puritan Church, and in their puritan society. The souls of men were seen as “stronger” than women’s and therefore, much more able to resist temptation from the Devil (Breslaw, 285). With their belief in the biblical story of Adam and Eve, the church saw women as more likely so sin and associate with the Devil (Breslaw, 284). Samuel Willard delivered a sermon on women and the devil on April 19, 1962. He quoted, “And we find in the history, that the serpent directly addressed himself to the women, Gen. 3.1…and then she subjected her understanding and will to the report of Satan and the delusion offered to her senses, ver. 6” (Willard, 183). This section from Samuel Willard’s sermon shows how the Puritan religion associated women with the devil, and how much it was emphasized even in their sermons. Women were blamed for witchcraft because of their low authority in the political system, and the way they were viewed in the Puritan society.
The gender roles consisted of many differences during the period of the Salem Witch Trials, and therefore caused more women to be accused of witchcraft. Men held more power and attained higher positions in all aspects of society than women. Unfortunately, it created the gender discrimination of women that led to many accusations of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
Breslaw, Elaine G. "Gender." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. 283-354.
Print.
Brown, David C. "The Forfeitures at Salem, 1692." The William and Mary Quarterly Third 50.1 (1993): 85-111. JSTOR. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/2947237?ref=searchgateway:b5b10c08ab365746fd0593967f255b9c>.
Carlson, Laurie M. "The Afflicted." A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials. Chicago: I.R. Dee, 1999. 9-37. Print.
Gibson, Marion. "Retelling Salem Stories: Gender Politics and Witches in American Culture." European Journal of American Culture 25.2 (2006):
85-107. Print.
Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England. New York: Norton, 1987. Print.
Louis-Jacques, Lyonette. “The Salem Witch Trials: A legal bibliography.” The University of Chicago Library News. The University of Chicago
Library, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 23 March 2014.
Pelka, Fred. "The `Women's Holocaust.'." Humanist 52.5 (1992): 5-32. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Rapley, Robert. "The Salem Witches." Witch Hunts: From Salem to Guantanamo Bay. Montreal: McGill-Queen's UP, 2007. 63-97. Print.
“The Salem Witch Trials.” TAHPDX Great Decisions in U.S. History. The Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, Aug. 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Willard, Samuel. "Sermon LIII." A Compleat Body of Divinity in Two Hundred and Fifty Expository Lectures on the Assembly's Shorter Catechism.
Boston: B. Green and S. Kneeland, 1726. 183-87. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
When witchcraft in Salem became more prominent in 1692, women were targeted because of their positions socially. Breslaw discusses gender in her book, Witches of the Atlantic, and how women were discriminated in the society. Their jobs in the society consisted of mostly household chores and taking care of their children (Breslaw, 284). They had an inferior social status compared to men and were viewed as “physically weak,” which is why they were easy to blame (Breslaw, 285). In Carol F. Karlsen’s book, The Devil in the Shape of a Women, she states that nearly 200 people were accused of witchcraft during the “outbreak” in Salem, and more than three-forth’s of these people were female (Karlsen, 40). The small amount of men that were accused had only been blamed because they were the husband, son, or other male relative of the accused female (Karlsen, 40). Laurie Winn Carlson argues, in her book A Fever in Salem, that the men accused were not put into the public view because of their higher position in Salem’s society (Carlson, 27). Many associate the accused with young women, but in actuality it was women of all ages. According to Karlsen, 44% of the “possessed women” were between sixteen and twenty, 38% were over twenty, and 18% were under sixteen (Karlsen, 39). More attention was drawn to the younger girls who displayed any indication of witchcraft only because they were more likely to have been brought to court or given examinations by doctors, clergy, or other individuals (Carlson, 27). They were also unable to prevent any onlookers with this kind of attention, so the news spread quicker than others who were accused. Women of all ages were accused more for witchcraft because of their social status as females, compared to the status of men.
Women were not held as high up in the political or religious world as well, which is why they were accused more than men. Men held higher political positions, especially in the courts and trials for these occurrences. Men also held high positions in the Puritan Church, and in their puritan society. The souls of men were seen as “stronger” than women’s and therefore, much more able to resist temptation from the Devil (Breslaw, 285). With their belief in the biblical story of Adam and Eve, the church saw women as more likely so sin and associate with the Devil (Breslaw, 284). Samuel Willard delivered a sermon on women and the devil on April 19, 1962. He quoted, “And we find in the history, that the serpent directly addressed himself to the women, Gen. 3.1…and then she subjected her understanding and will to the report of Satan and the delusion offered to her senses, ver. 6” (Willard, 183). This section from Samuel Willard’s sermon shows how the Puritan religion associated women with the devil, and how much it was emphasized even in their sermons. Women were blamed for witchcraft because of their low authority in the political system, and the way they were viewed in the Puritan society.
The gender roles consisted of many differences during the period of the Salem Witch Trials, and therefore caused more women to be accused of witchcraft. Men held more power and attained higher positions in all aspects of society than women. Unfortunately, it created the gender discrimination of women that led to many accusations of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
Breslaw, Elaine G. "Gender." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. 283-354.
Print.
Brown, David C. "The Forfeitures at Salem, 1692." The William and Mary Quarterly Third 50.1 (1993): 85-111. JSTOR. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/2947237?ref=searchgateway:b5b10c08ab365746fd0593967f255b9c>.
Carlson, Laurie M. "The Afflicted." A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials. Chicago: I.R. Dee, 1999. 9-37. Print.
Gibson, Marion. "Retelling Salem Stories: Gender Politics and Witches in American Culture." European Journal of American Culture 25.2 (2006):
85-107. Print.
Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England. New York: Norton, 1987. Print.
Louis-Jacques, Lyonette. “The Salem Witch Trials: A legal bibliography.” The University of Chicago Library News. The University of Chicago
Library, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 23 March 2014.
Pelka, Fred. "The `Women's Holocaust.'." Humanist 52.5 (1992): 5-32. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Rapley, Robert. "The Salem Witches." Witch Hunts: From Salem to Guantanamo Bay. Montreal: McGill-Queen's UP, 2007. 63-97. Print.
“The Salem Witch Trials.” TAHPDX Great Decisions in U.S. History. The Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, Aug. 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
Willard, Samuel. "Sermon LIII." A Compleat Body of Divinity in Two Hundred and Fifty Expository Lectures on the Assembly's Shorter Catechism.
Boston: B. Green and S. Kneeland, 1726. 183-87. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.