... pain, and complained of fever. The cause of her symptoms may have been some combination of stress, asthma, guilt, child abuse, epilepsy, and delusional psychosis, but there were other theories. Cotton Mather had recently published a popular book, "Memorable Providences," describing the suspected witchcraft of an Irish washerwoman in Boston, and Betty's behavior in some ways mirrored that of the afflicted person described ... in Mather's book. It was easy to believe in 1692 in Salem, with an Indian war raging less than seventy miles away that the devil was close at hand. Talk of witchcra...

• Word Count: 1822
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... soul. When Burroughs on Gallows Hill continued to insist on his innocence and then recited the Lord's Prayer perfectly, the crowd was greatly moved. The agitation of the crowd caused Cotton Mather to intervene and remind the crowd that Burroughs had his day in court and lost. Others who were soon executed were Giles Corey, and eight more witches after him, including ... ...

• Word Count: 1724
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... . So actually there was some type of magic, but nothing as serious as what is mentioned in the play. In historical records, John Indian, Reverend Nicholas Hoyes, Sarah Cloyce, and Cotton Mather have been noted as very important people in the Salem Witch Trials. Miller doesn't mention any of these individuals in his play. In reality, Ann Putnam was not the first ... ...

• Word Count: 1176
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School