1. Why did the Puritans leave England and venture to a new land?
Life in Puritan New England was very harsh and the church had great power and influence. While Puritans left England in order to practice more freely they were not interested in freedom of all religion.
2. Explain how the Puritans felt about freedom of religion
They digressed
3. How important is the church in Puritan Society? Explain.
They structured the social order around their church, meaning that the church was the most important thing in their society and that the church was the center of everything.
4. What is excommunication?
To exclude by or as if by decree from membership or participation in a group.
5. Why were church leaders so influential/powerful in Puritan communities?
Church leaders were so powerful in Puritan communities because they structured their social order around the church.
6. How does religion today compare to the Puritan's idea of religion?
Today, religion is voluntary but is wasn’t for the puritans. Church members would join together, then the town formed around them and under most circumstances excommunication was the worst thing that could happen to you, meaning that God ignores leaving you to Satan’s influence.
7. Why was witchcraft often the explanation for illness?
Witchcraft was often an explanation for illness because the doctors of the time could not diagnose of what was happening.
8. What scientific explanation was given by Caporeal as to the cause of the mysterious behavior in Salem?
The scientific explanation that was given by Caporeal as the cause of an illness was caused by Ergot poisoning, a fungus found naturally in rain weather followed by hot periods.
Salem Witch Trials
Puritan Children
1. Describe the life of a Puritan Child.
Children were expected to behave on the same street codes as the adults do chores and works any show of emotion was discourage and any disobedience was severely punished. Boys had a little bit more freedom than girls because they were allowed to craft things while girls had to stay at home and work. Children learn how to read but people only owned religious texts and the bible.
Religion and Witchcraft
2. Describe a Puritan church service.
It was against the law not to attend church men and women were separated within the mass individual differences were frowned upon the church even controlled the way people got dressed.
3. What did the Puritan's believe about God and their church?
Puritans believe that all sins should be punished, and when someone suffered it was because they sin so puritans wouldn´t help.
4. What do you think was the main message the Puritan's tried to convey to its parishioners?
The Puritan church tried to make people be afraid and this was to keep them in line
5. Why was everyone so fearful? What were they afraid of?
Fear of magic and witches was common in New England and it was passed down from Europe over 100 witches were hanged in the 1600s.
6. How did the Puritans feel about individuality?
Puritans felt that people should not show their individuality and everyone had to follow the code of conformity which is why the first people to be accused of being witches were social outcasts.
Economic and Social Divisions
7. Differentiate between Salem Town and Salem Village.
Salem village was actually a part of Salem town but was set apart because people were mostly poor farmers but Salem town was prosperous poor town and most people living there were white merchants.
8. Explain the reason for the friction between Salem Town and Salem Village.
Salem village wanted independence because the people of Salem town kept them in control and determined the prices of the crops even though you had to walk 3 hours to walk from Salem town to Salem village they took up to 1674 to get their own church
9. What role did the new minister, Reverend Parris, play in the Salem witch trials?
Samuel Parris was the new minister in Salem village he was very puritan he said that the rich merchants and prosperous were an influence of the devil it is because of this that people believe it all had to do with reverend parties because most of the people accusing were from Salem village and most accused were from Salem town.
Joseph Mc Carthy
1. Who was Joseph McCarthy?
He was a young senator that made a very serious accusation and was that more than 200 people had infiltrated the United States government. It was proven that the accusations were untrue so the senate censored him.
2. What feelings of the American psyche or events of the time allowed for McCarthyism to become such a prominent movement in the 1950s?
America was overwhelmed with concerns about the threat of communism growing in Eastern Europe and China.
3. What effect did McCarthyism have on artists and entertainers?
Many of them were accused of being communist sympathizers and were unable to continue working. Some had their passports taken away and others even were taken to prison because they refused to say names of other communists. With a simple trial their careers went down the gutter.