Cotton Mather was a Puritan who settled in Salem, Massachusetts during one of the most historical witch trials ever to be recorded. Mather was in charge of recording the historical data that occurred in the settlement. From the recordings of Mather came his work titled “The Wonders of the Invisible World” which included two excerpts “A People of God in the Devil’s Territories” and “The Trial of Martha Carrier”. In his work Mather discusses the outbreak of Witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts and describes the trial of an accused witch, Martha Carrier. The series of events that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1962, were recorded and presented by Cotton Mather, which provides a Puritan insight to the hysteria involved in the Salem Witch Trials.
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According to Puritan beliefs, the Indians were seen as devil worshippers, which lead to the belief that America had once been the devil’s territory (Source 2). Mather claims, “the devil thus irritated, immediately tried all sorts of method’s to overturn this poor plantation” and the devil continued to make one last attempt that was “more difficult, more surprising, more snarled” than any other method he had tried before (“A People of God in the Devil’s Territories,”329). Mather claims the settlement was quickly infected with the demons and the numerous settlers started carrying out the work of …show more content…
Mather tells the story of Carrier in an excerpt titled “The Trial of Martha Carrier”. Carrier was indicted for bewitching and tormenting a considerable number of settlers. She plead not guilty to the accusations that she bit, pricked, pinched, and choked the individuals she tormented. While people in the meeting house observed the trial of Carrier, they began to claim that as she would look at them they felt as though their necks were twisted to which Carrier replied, “It’s no matter though their necks been twisted quite off” (“The Trial of Martha Carrier,” 331). Before Martha’s trial, some of her own children admitted to being witches and claimed that their mother caused them to do such evil. Carrier’s neighbor, Benjamin Abbot claimed that when he was plowing too close to Carrier’s husband’s land she threatened him and caused a sore on his side and groin that had to be lanced and drained of corruption by Doctor Prescott. Abbot also claimed that Carrier caused the death of one of his cattle because they could find no natural reason for the cow’s death. Various other settlers made accusations against Carrier which led to the eventual hanging of Martha
According to Puritan beliefs, the Indians were seen as devil worshippers, which lead to the belief that America had once been the devil’s territory (Source 2). Mather claims, “the devil thus irritated, immediately tried all sorts of method’s to overturn this poor plantation” and the devil continued to make one last attempt that was “more difficult, more surprising, more snarled” than any other method he had tried before (“A People of God in the Devil’s Territories,”329). Mather claims the settlement was quickly infected with the demons and the numerous settlers started carrying out the work of …show more content…
Mather tells the story of Carrier in an excerpt titled “The Trial of Martha Carrier”. Carrier was indicted for bewitching and tormenting a considerable number of settlers. She plead not guilty to the accusations that she bit, pricked, pinched, and choked the individuals she tormented. While people in the meeting house observed the trial of Carrier, they began to claim that as she would look at them they felt as though their necks were twisted to which Carrier replied, “It’s no matter though their necks been twisted quite off” (“The Trial of Martha Carrier,” 331). Before Martha’s trial, some of her own children admitted to being witches and claimed that their mother caused them to do such evil. Carrier’s neighbor, Benjamin Abbot claimed that when he was plowing too close to Carrier’s husband’s land she threatened him and caused a sore on his side and groin that had to be lanced and drained of corruption by Doctor Prescott. Abbot also claimed that Carrier caused the death of one of his cattle because they could find no natural reason for the cow’s death. Various other settlers made accusations against Carrier which led to the eventual hanging of Martha