Very interesting article. The Puritans were indeed anything but dull and drab, as history has shown us. You are correct that a small percentage of witches accused were actually burned (or even hanged). The over-emphasized "Salem Witch Trials" was a unique circumstance in which many accused women and men met their fate. I would like to add a few opinions to the conversation, though. First, the Puritans cannot be compared to Southern pilgrims, as they were a lone break off of the Anglican branch who believed in the simplification of religion. Modern Puritanism can be defined by one word: Misogynistic. While the faith openly declared men and women had equal rights to salvation, they were in no way equal before the devil, which is to say women were more damnable than men. This because women were held to a higher standard of purity--being commanded to be humble, meek, quiet, motherly, spiritual, repenting, and fruitful (yes, they were expected to produce many children). This brings me to the witchcraft trials. When women did not follow the Puritan's prescribed gender roles, they were more susceptible to the accusation of witchcraft. This is not to say that men were not accused, but women were more likely to confess. This is primarily because Puritanism created a culture of fear surrounding the question: "How could believers be assured they were God's elect?" Women were more susceptible to interpreting their own sins than men and therefore confessed more readily to witchcraft. The act of confession was not merely out of self-preservation — but to save their souls from damnation. However, within confessing, a woman not only repented of sin, but she also confirmed her community's belief in God and the devil. I have linked a helpful book on the topic below in case you are interested. This is undoubtedly an interesting topic, though. It jogs the brain and makes us consider how religion has impacted the small facets of life.
Have a nice day,
Lauren
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=uE-KGNhirR0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Damned+Women,+Sinners+and+Witches+in+Puritan+New+England+%E2%80%93+Elizabeth+Reis&ots=OTd7MRVnan&sig=PE4bD4fgYuZqqyzdhn_vVPM6FFs#v=onepage&q=Damned%20Women%2C%20Sinners%20and%20Witches%20in%20Puritan%20New%20England%20%E2%80%93%20Elizabeth%20Reis&f=false
