Cotton Mather and the Salem Witch Trials: Separating Fact from Fiction

Cotton Mather is perhaps most famous for his role in the Salem witch trials. He was also the minister at Boston’s North Church (Second Church) and a prolific writer with a transatlantic audience. Mather has often been portrayed as an instigator of the trials and a witch hunter. But what exactly did he do, and why has he been such a polarizing figure?

This virtual roundtable discussion featured Salem witch trials historian Marilynne Roach (author of The Salem Witch Trials and Six Women of Salem), Rachel Christ-Doane (Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum), and Dr. Tricia Peone (Project Director of New England’s Hidden Histories at the Congregational Library & Archives).

Their discussion focused on Cotton Mather’s writings about witchcraft, misconceptions about his role in the Salem witch trials, and his legacy today.


Explore documents and resources related to the Salem witch trials in the Congregational Library & Archives Research Guide at https://congregationallibrary.org/sal...

Explore manuscripts by Cotton Mather and a wide range of resources about his life and legacy in the Congregational Library & Archives' Cotton Mather Bibliography at https://congregationallibrary.org/cot...

Explore digitized early modern Congregational church records through the New England's Hidden Histories project at https://congregationallibrary.org/nehh

Learn more about Marilynne Roach's work on the Salem witch trials at http://marilynnekroach.com/

Find the Salem Witch Museum online at https://salemwitchmuseum.com/


-----------------
Find the resources mentioned in the video here:

• Salem Witch Museum's blog on the "Moldy Bread Theory": https://salemwitchmuseum.com/2023/05/...
• Margo Burns' lecture on Ergot from History Camp:    • The Salem Witchcraft Trials and Ergot, the...  


-------------------
CHAPTERS:

0:00 Welcome and Introductions
5:44 Program Overview
7:35 Rachel Christ-Doane on Mather Before the Trials
20:16 Marilynne Roach on Mather During the Trials
36:16 Dr. Tricia Peone on Mather After the Trials & CLA Resources
45:05 Q: What role did ministers play in "calming down" witch hunts throughout Massachusetts?
50:27 Q: Were the records from the Oyer and Terminer court lost?
52:14 Q: What about the ergot theory?
55:51 Q: What was spectral evidence?
57:28 Q: Was there a connection between Cotton Mather and Samuel Parris?
58:12 Q: What did people believe about how a "witch's" power worked?
1:01:43 Q: Did Cotton Mather ever comment on Samuel Sewall's apology?
1:02:44 Q: What characteristics typically made women targets in the trials?
1:05:10 Final Thoughts and Thanks


-------------------
Connect with the Congregational Library & Archives online:

• Website: https://www.congregationallibrary.org
• Facebook:   / congregationallibrary  
• Instagram:   / congregationallibrary  
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/congrelib.bs...
• X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/CongreLib
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@congregation...
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CongregationalLibrary