This book explores a narrative of history surrounding witch hunts and executions in New America history. The narrative is told by Richard Godbeer to demonstrate early American’s stereotype of witches and how they were quick to accuse and lodge trials on them. In the ‘other witch hunt ’, Godbeer narrates a story of a seventeen-year-old girl by the name Katherine Branch who serves as a maid in the Wescot’s family who is a respected townsman in Stamford. The story is told in June 1692 where Katherine Branch suffers fits and this condition causes her a lot of pain resulting in wailing, falling into trances, collapsing, going stiff, among other symptoms that according to the current believes of the American people, especially those from Stamford associate them to bewitchment (Godbeer 2004). Catherine also believes that she is bewitched and even claims to see some visions of witches, who appeared in different forms. This situation prompts this family to seek both natural and supernatural approach possible to cure their servant. After seeking the family exhausts both medical and supernatural treatments of this time, people are eventually convinced that Branch’s sufferings are associated with the malady.
From her vision, Branch identifies six women who might be associated with her bewitchment and according to her masters and mistresses from Wescot family, these people should be trialed in the Connecticut courts. During these trials, the five of the accused witched are brought in the court to answer charges, and the sixth suspect does not attend the session because she has fled to her relatives in the New York State. Having found no enough evidence to prosecute these suspects, the jury freed three of them and the other two named Elizabeth Clawson and mercy Disborough to the Connecticut General Assembly to give their verdict. Besides, the ministers advised the judges to be careful in the process of weighing evidence to prosecute these people. The process of acquiring and authenticating evidence becomes a difficult task, however, Disborough is found guilty and is sentenced to death. Conversely, some people come to her support and appeals to the General Assembly which vindicates her too.
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This book has changed the way I believed about witchcraft in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Godbeer expresses the townspeople as a population deficient of modern reasoning who hold a worldview of the ancient seventeenth-century be strongly believing in the existence and the powers of witchcraft. During this time, the majority of the people believed and associated all misfortunes with the witchcraft and magic, and any person mentioned as a witch would be thoroughly punished. From the study of various literature about magic and witchcraft, all people believed in the existence and power of occult and mostly would be associated with elderly women in society. Besides, people mostly women were prosecuted for witchcraft and capital punishment was meted to the involved parties. Additionally, a good number of suspects were also lynched and other forms of severe punishments from neighbors and the majority of the victims were individuals with suspected of the occult and would harm their enemies.
The story of the New England witchcraft differs from the fiction versions and other presentations in movies and films because there is a different view of how people believe about occults. The people in Stanford are skeptical about illnesses and suspected old women especially those with cantankerousness reputation as witches. These women accused of bewitching Katherine have a reputation history of being suspected witches. More so, they have been involved in certain wrangles with the Wescot family and Katherine was aware of it. Thus this stereotype would be the reason where she claims to have seen them in her visions and eventually causing their trials. In the issues of magic and witchcraft, the whole community came together to prosecute the suspects, but in this case, this stereotype is held by a certain group who still believe that all their problems would be caused by evil spirits. However, the six suspects are in Escaping Salem are taken through a process which vindicates them as they are found not guilty. This process allowed a fair hearing and judgement, where some people would support them and demanded a fair process rather than prosecuting them after being suspected.
The authorities and families in the colonial New England also influenced actions especially in dealing with witchcraft. Besides, Godbeer shows how a society can use authorities, religions and social norms to oppress the less privileged. The Wescot family uses courts to settle old scores with the women who challenge it on different occasions by utilizes the servant’s misfortune as an opportunity to revenge. Also, the community is so quick to judge and condemn the accused people of witchcraft. This belief can be associated with less knowledge of medical know-how and people highly rely on the supernatural powers as demonstrated by the Wescot family that seeks remedies from a midwife. Besides, the family has an earlier history of a daughter who suffered from the same illness, but she recovered within a few weeks. There is also a mixed reaction among different people where some have come out to give their testimonies to support the allegations in the court.
However, there is another group that is against these accusations and even appeals for Disborough, an accused who has been sentenced to death. Additionally, authorities such as ministers are indifferent about this issue and advise the judges to be keen when ruling out this case. Balancing the pressure from people and the evidence in prosecuting witches is difficult for the judges since the accusations are just imaginary and speculations without tangible evidence to warrant prosecution. Also, the people believe that Katherine being an orphan from a poor background with limited opportunities of getting married, would be an easy target that witches would like to recruit. This story presents a different picture of systems in New England, especially courts that have followed due processes and principles of law in prosecuting suspects of witchcraft. But still not all courts that observe these processes as demonstrated by the jury in the Connecticut court who does not apply the relevant judicial procedures and practices in prosecuting the witches as they easily succumb to the pressure of people who base their arguments on beliefs.
The author also intends to expose some of the practices in the societies that are discriminatory to some groups and categories of people. However, there are still reasonable groups that stand with the truth and the oppressed. For instance, the jury in the Connecticut courts and the peers who are so quick to condemn and judge the women, represent groups in the society that believes in norms and not facts. Conversely, the magistrates who eventually acquits all women for lack of sufficient evidence and relevant testimonies represent a society that is modernized and that has a diverse worldview. The author also explores how
Therefore, the overall stereotype and ideas about have been challenged by this book which has provided an alternative version where the systems especially the courts have protected the rights of the community. Besides, the book challenges the beliefs that associate old women in society with witchcraft and prosecuting suspects without a fair trial. It has also changed the perspective of discriminating and disrespecting women and minority groups in society. The women are associated with witchcraft and the societal stigma of those who do not believe in the norms and would challenge the authorities and rich families. This is evident where the author alludes that the women accused of bewitching Katherine have existing conflicts with the Wescot family. More so, women who are disorderly and aged are termed as witches depending on peoples’ perceptions, but this stereotype is changed when the general court acquits them of the allegations due to lack of sufficient evidence.
After reading this book, the ideas and thinking about witchcraft changed and has demonstrated the need to change the old perspective about occults and magic in society. Before reading this book, there was a common belief that illnesses and other misfortunes were caused by evil spirits and would be exercised through old women who were to be prosecuted without a trial. However, Godbeer changes that notion by showing how the community has been prosecuting innocent people based on mere allegations. More so, the court’s ruling discourages the society against prosecuting others without enough evidence and fair legal process.
Therefore, this book has demonstrated how modernization has improved the society by changing their perspectives towards things like religion, politics, courts and others. This change would enhance respect for each other and their rights. Besides, it can act as a lesson to courts and judges who does not adhere to the right principles and practices of law in prosecutions. Women have played a vital role in the development of different themes in this book, one of them being discrimination where people are suspected as witches based on their gender and age. The book also can be a lesson to the people who prejudge others without sufficient evidence as it can result in sufferings of the accused parties.
References
Godbeer, R. (2004). Escaping Salem: the other witch hunt of 1692. Oxford University Press.
