Escaping Salem

“Though Ebenezer Bishop had never before witnessed such horrors, he knew well that afflictions of this sort did occur and that they were often the handiwork of spiteful neighbors who knew how to wield occult powers against their enemies.”

This passage may seem rather banal at first. However, the components of this sentence all speak to common presumptions and ideas that will be interrogated down the line. For example, “the handiwork of spiteful neighbors” is believed to be evidence by the public, but is not considered sufficient by the courts; “occult powers,” we learn, are not universally reviled, but rather considered to be beneficial by many.

“Escaping Salem provides a corrective to the stereotype of early New Englanders as quick to accuse and condemn. That stereotype originates with Salem, which was […] unlike other outbreaks of witch hunting in New England. Stamford’s witch hunt was much more typical.”

This is the general thesis of the text: Salem’s witch trials are much better known, and therefore our conception of New Englanders, in particular their treatment of witch hunts, is based on Salem. But, Salem’s hunts and trials are not representative; Stamford’s trial, on the other hand, is.

“Kate gave no answer, but fell to the floor, her hands clasped and her body strangely contorted; she wept piteously. Abigail’s eyes narrowed. She neither liked nor trusted the young woman. Was this some trick to avoid completing her chores for the day?” 

Public opinion and reliability were very important for witch trials: later, we see that Stamford was quite heavily divided, which ultimately led to Mercy Disborough’s conviction being overturned. Here, we see early signs that Kate may not be reliable, and, further, that even the Wescots’ opinions may have been divided.