Women's History Month and a Visit to Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony 1692

Women's History Month

Hello my friends,
I have been very busy moving to a new house! I never wrote about my last adventure in time. I will make a series of posts on Women's History Month.

Let's start with Bridget Bishop, Salem 1692

Let me give you some background information first. You will understand what happened to Bridget better. You will know why I made the decision I did. Here we go! Travel back in time with me to Salem, both a village and a town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

About the Puritans

My great-grandparents came here earlier in the century to practice their religion the way they wanted to, not the way the King of England told them to. My grandparents were "Puritans." Puritan means we want to purify the Church of England and take away the Papist (Catholic) trappings like incense and Latin prayers. We do not believe in holidays (holy days). Every day is a day to worship God! We know God decides who is going to heaven before we are born. If you are among God's elect you will show outward signs of being "godly." Most likely you will be clean, read your Bible, attend Meeting (what we call church) and obey the rules. If you are dirty, slovenly, drunken, mean, bad, crazy, do not attend Meeting, you will probably not go to heaven. If a person or a group of people does not behave in a godly manner, then God will bring His wrath down upon them!

About Children

My parents believe my sisters, brothers, other children and myself were all born sinners. We have to have the sin stamped out of us. We work hard at our chores: cooking, spinning, gardening, tending livestock, watching younger children and anything else we need to do to survive.

About Witches and the Devil

A witch is any woman or man who hath signed a pact with the devil and is capable of inflicting serious harm. If you are a witch, you are an associate of the devil and you will most assuredly NOT go to heaven! Long ago in England (1500, 1650) witches were burned at the stake. We are now civilized so we hang witches instead.

In 1692 Salem is on the frontier. Some people in the village came from a settlement up in Maine.
In January, the French invaded and killed about 50-100 English colonists, took 70-100 hostage, killed livestock and burned the settlement. Indians in league with the French also attacked the settlement. Many children were left without parents. It must be the work of the devil!

In February, the King sent us a Royal Governor who issued a new charter. Many people are unhappy about this. We made our own laws for over 50 years. Why aren't they good enough?

Here in the town children are getting sick and no one knows why!

Ministers are competing for town and village churches!

Strangers who do not share our beliefs are taking control!

This winter was the coldest anyone can remember!

The summer was hot and stormy!

What have we done to incur God's wrath?

Children are having fits (Including my friend Betty Parris, a minister's daughter)!

The devil is afoot in Salem and the town must be saved!