This is the story of Martha Carrier and her family, and how
Martha was charged with witchcraft and hung in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts for
refusing to admit she was a witch. The story is told through the eyes of
Martha's ten-year old daughter Sarah.
We've all heard about the Salem witch trials, but often what
we hear is so whitewashed we forget the seriousness of what happened. Though
fictionalized, this account of the trials and the events leading to the arrests
was taken from historical documents and stories the author, a descendent of Martha Carrier, heard from her
mother and grandmother. Even though you may be uncomfortable reading it, all
Americans should read it so that we don't forget what happened.
The hardships of the time, independent of the charges of
witchcraft, were eye-opening and made me thankful for growing up in a time of
comfort and leisure. At the time, even the youngest children were expected to
pull their load in the field as well as in household duties. The parents had
more children to provide more workers,
and because so many died because of disease.
The squalor of the prison where the Carriers were kept was
unbelievable. Martha, her three sons and one of her daughters ended up in
prison, leaving her husband Tom to care for the younger daughter and the farm.
He also had to provide food and clothing for his wife and children in prison.
Prisoners had to pay for the manacles they were forced to wear. The crowded
conditions made the filth worse.
As a Christian, I found it difficult to read about how the
Puritans crucified the men and women accused of being witches in the name of
the church. Prominent ministers added credence to the allegations. What was
ironic about it was that the reason the Puritans came to the United States was
to escape intolerance. The witch hunts didn't last long, but twenty people were
put to death because of the mass hysteria and misunderstands of the time.
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