The Salem Witch Trials and the Pueblo Revolt: Analytical Essay on Tensions in American Society

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Before countries began to colonize the New World in 1492, there were many groups of Native Americans in the Americas. They had developed their own cultures, religions, and ways of life. Eventually, in search of the west indies, Christopher Columbus found south America. Spain had more advanced weaponry and fast-spreading diseases that allowed them to quickly take over South America. Their oppression of the natives’ culture, religion, and rights created high tensions and lead to revolts, such as the pueblo rebellion in New Mexico. Their goal was to find wealth in this new land and spread Catholicism to the natives. Soon after, England started to colonize North America. It became a place to grow cash crops in the south and escape religious persecution farther north. One major religious group in Massachusetts was the puritans. They formed tight communities and had strict beliefs, but they began to turn on each other when their faith was in question, by accusing others of being witches and leading to the Salem witch trials. Tensions such as these were not uncommon in the new world. The pueblo revolt and the Salem witch trials represent different tensions in colonial America, the pueblo revolt represents tensions between the natives and the colonists while the Salem witch trials represent tensions between people who are of the same group.

The pueblo revolt was a product of Spanish colonization. They had colonized new Mexico for religious and economic gain. In order to spread their religion, the Spanish forced Catholicism on the natives of their new colonies. Missionaries in their new Mexico colony burned the pueblo burial grounds and other religious objects to get them to convert. They were also expected to obey Spanish law and were tried in their courts. When they broke these laws they received severe punishments. They would be jailed, abused, or forced into slavery. Spain also forced the pueblos to grow and give them corn.1 This caused frustrations for the Pueblos, they did not believe in their god, they were not accustomed to their laws, and they did not want to be controlled by the Spanish. In addition to these, the pueblos also faced struggles due to large drought and attacks on their villages, making it harder for them to grow the corn Spain needed or trust them and their god for protection, leading to even higher tensions in new Mexico.

Eventually, the natives grew upset enough to start the Pueblo revolt. Many rebellions had been planned before, but none were as successful. The revolts had been too small and were easily managed by Spain. The pueblo revolt was on a much larger scale with the main objective, of getting their freedom. An Indian by the name of the pope organized it, creating its other name, Pope’s rebellion. He united the people and told them what to do. They destroyed the churches, separated their catholic marriages, and washed off their baptism running through rivers, so they could get rid of all Catholic elements in their lives. Pedro Naranjo, a prisoner of the natives explains their religious motive as, “They thereby returned to the state of their antiquity…that this was the better life and the one they desired because the God of the Spaniards was worth nothing and theirs was very strong, the Spaniard’s God being rotten wood”2. The natives no longer wanted to be under the control of the Spaniards or to worship their god, when he was not as powerful as their own. Religion played a very important role in the colonies, and in native American lives. They had certain rituals and beliefs but were forced to abandon them when they were colonized.

The tensions in new Mexico can be seen through the pueblo revolt. Spain forced religion on the natives, so they destroyed everything related to Spanish catholicism. They were controlled by Spain, so they fought to win that control back. This reflects many colonial tensions of the times between the natives and the colonizers. Not only for the pueblo Indians but also for Indians everywhere. Religions and cultures that were not their own were forced onto them by the colonizers, specifically in Spanish colonies. However, both the British and the Spanish forced the natives into labor. Just as the Spanish forced the Pueblos to grow corn for them, or into slavery, colonies all across the new world did too. And although it wasn’t one of the most important factors leading to the pueblo revolt, it did cause tensions just like everywhere else.

The Salem witch trials also came from religious roots. When the Puritans of Salem, Massachusetts faced issues that would make it seem like they weren’t favorable in the eyes of God, they began to blame it on witches. Instead of taking personal blame, they would say that the women of the town were worshiping the devil and had cursed them. And just as the Spaniards had unfair trials and aggressive punishments, so did the accused witches. Not much evidence was needed to find a so-called witch guilty, and a common punishment was execution by burning, drowning, or hanging. In a letter from Deodat Lawson to Nathaniel Higginson of England, he explains the trials saying what is happening to the accused at the trials. Deodat Lawson writes, “taking Pins out of the Clothes of the afflicted, and thrusting them into their flesh; many of which were taken out again by the Judge’s own hands. Thorns also in like-kind were thrust into their flesh,”3. The accused women would be stabbed and injured in their trials causing people to be blind, deaf, or pass out. Some people claimed that stabbing the witches with the pins would cause them to feel the pain before the accused got pinned, and then would act as if it was hurting them as well, therefore proving the accused was a witch. One woman, Bridget Bishop, was accused of using witchcraft to hurt people from her town, as well ask to kill her husband. She denied being a witch and harming anyone. In the court transcript the judge asks, “You are here accused by 4. Or .5. for hurting them, what do you say to it?” to which she replies “I never saw these persons before, nor I never was in this place before.”4 She was put through many trials for her crimes, but with no other evidence other than the accuser’s claims, she declared guilty and executed by hanging. This was a common situation for many accused, where they would deny being witches, or harming anyone, and there would be a lack of evidence, but they were still found guilty on account of another’s words.

The Salem witch trials reflect tensions between people from the same place. It became a scapegoat for people whose crops were dying, were acting strangely or had otherwise faced misfortune. This was done for their own social gain. The puritan religion stated that anyone who faced misfortune or had bad luck wasn’t part of the elect, people were saved from damnation. So, when people felt like others were noticing their problems, they would blame it on someone else, saying they were a witch that had cursed them. Samuel Parris wrote in his sermon notebook, “The Devil and his Instruments will be warring against Christ & his followers. Text. These shall make war with the Lamb”5. The people of Salem felt as though witches were the instruments of the devil, and that they wanted to cause problems for the followers of Christ, which he refers to as the lamb. Other religions also put a strong emphasis on the need for salvation. Across the colonies, many people relied on their religions and frowned upon those who were not religious or didn’t represent their values well. This commonality was caused by the fact that all the colonies come from the same place, Europe, which had very strict laws and regulations regarding religion. Many of the colonies were formed to find safety and freedom from their religion, but old habits remained, keeping religious

values and expectations strict in the new world. However, none were quite as extreme as the puritans in the Salem witch trials. They were a very exaggerated example of conflict within religions in the colonies.

The Salem witch trials and the Pueblo revolt were strongly influenced by the spiritual world. The Natives in New Mexico were forced to convert to a religion that wasn’t theirs, and puritan people were accused of witchcraft to protect the reputation of others. The Salem witch trials reflected the high intensity of religion, and the lengths people are willing to go to prove their allegiance to that religion. They were even willing to prioritize the community’s perception of themselves over the safety and perception of their neighbors. In comparison, the pueblo revolt was an external conflict. Like many other native Americans, the Pueblo Indians were fighting for religious freedom. European countries would often force their religion onto the native people of the new world, which caused many uprisings similar to the Pueblo revolt.

These events were mainly sparked by religious tension in the colonial world. Religion was a very important aspect of colonial culture that in all of history has led to many wars and conflicts, both internally and with others.

In conclusion, the Pueblo revolt reflects tensions in the colonies between the native peoples and the colonizers, while the Salem witch trials reflect tensions within religions. Both of which, as well as many other tensions across the colonies, are deeply rooted in religious beliefs and cultures. Like the Salem witch trials and the pueblo revolt, many tensions in the colonies were created by people who were looking for personal gain and led to violence. They both represented colonial tensions in the new world in aspects of religion, society, and power.

Footnotes

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica “Pueblo Rebellion,” Encyclopaedia Britannica (Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc., May 19, 2008), https://www.britannica.com/event/Pueblo-Rebellion
. “Account of the Pueblo Revolt,” Digital History, accessed September 24,2019, http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=3916
Lawson, Deodat. Letter. 2010. “Salem Witch Trials.” Salem Witch Trials, 2010. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/letters/lawsons_london_letter.html.
“SWP No. 013: Bridget Bishop Executed, June 10, 1692.” SWP No. 013: Bridget Bishop Executed, June 10, 1692 – New Salem – Pelican. The University of Virginia. Accessed September 23, 2019. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n13.html.
“The Sermon Notebook of Samuel Parris: September 11, 1692: Salem Witch Trials.” The Sermon Notebook of Samuel Parris: September 11, 1692, | Salem Witch Trials. The University of Virginia. Accessed September 23, 2019. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/sermons/parris16920911.html.

Bibliography

“Account of the Pueblo Revolt.” Digital History. Accessed September 24, 2019. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=3916.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Pueblo Rebellion.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., May 19, 2008. https://www.britannica.com/event/Pueblo-Rebellion.
Lawson, Deodat. “Salem Witch Trials.” Salem Witch Trials. University of Virginia Library, 2010. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/letters/lawsons_london_letter.html.
“SWP No. 013: Bridget Bishop Executed, June 10, 1692.” SWP No. 013: Bridget Bishop Executed, June 10, 1692 – New Salem – Pelican. The University of Virginia. Accessed September 23, 2019. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n13.html.
“The Sermon Notebook of Samuel Parris: September 11, 1692: Salem Witch Trials.” The Sermon Notebook of Samuel Parris: September 11, 1692, | Salem Witch Trials. The University of Virginia. Accessed September 23, 2019. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/sermons/parris16920911.html.

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