Minister Team Help End Witch trails
By: Tucker Cain
Increase and Cotton Mather are a father and son minister group that write books about the devil and the invisible world. In 1689, they released a best seller book called Memorable Providences. It contained stories of witches and bewitched kids and adults. It was said to have been seen with their own eyes. This book was the terrible and horrific start to complete disaster that would take place in Salem village three years later.
Mather's book was an instant hit. “People flocked in droves to buy it,” It said in Witches in Salem (a book written after the disaster). That’s why it was not surprising that Reverend Parris’ daughter and niece were spotted several times reading the book with Reverends slave Tituba. In 1692, Reverend Parris's daughter and niece began to shout and contort into weird shapes. they rolled on the ground and acted like animals. Reverend Parris called a doctor immediately. The doctor said that they were the victim of witchcraft. Out of love Tituba, the slave made a “Witch cake” that was said to cure them and allow them to say who the witch was that was cursing and hexing them. When Reverend Parris found out about this he was furious. Witch cakes were considered black magic and that was not allowed in the puritan religion. Soon after, Tituba was accused of witchcraft. Then came the accusations. Brother turned on brother, husband turned on wife, and parent turned on child. It was crazy. People began to say that the people that they hated were witches. The witch hunt was on. Some people believed that it was their mission to rid the land of witches. It got out of control way too fast. 19 people were hanged, 1 person was crushed and many others went to jail.