Female Sinners: Accused, Ignored, Damned
“I am no Witch. I have no familiarity with the Devil. I am innocent.” These are the words of Bridget Bishop, the first person to be executed during the Salem Witch Trials. She would not be the last person, though, as nineteen accused would hang, and twenty people would die in the small Puritan village.
The reasons behind the hysteria and confusion that unfolded in Salem are challenging to explain. However, one factor is certain — Puritan gender roles proved damning for the women accused of witchcraft.
The Puritan Community
“These void of tears, but filled with fears, and dreadful expectation of endless pains and scalding flame, standing waiting for damnation” — minister Michael Wigglesworth
Puritan women were called to be submissive, subjecting themselves to their husband's authority and, therefore, to the power of God. They acted as wives, mothers, and spiritual models for society. According to Marilyn J. Westerkamp, “The housewives’ duties, included food and clothing production, childbearing and rearing, and family health, set burdensome demands on women.” The Puritan community commanded women to be humble, meek, quiet, motherly, spiritual, repenting, and…
