The Aftermath

Phew! I apologize for the hiatus: senior season is truly upon us, and senioritis is 100% taking its toll on me. Nonetheless, I love this course and knew that I needed to hop back in full force. We touched on a topic just barely in class that I wanted to explore a little more, and that is the aftermath of the trials. Not only what happened to those involved in the trials (Samuel Parris, his daughter and niece, the other accusers, the magistrates, those arrested and later released, etc.) but what happened in the community as a whole. How were the interpersonal relations? What kind of reparations were made? What did church look and feel like? Where did everyone go? There is a plethora of first-hand accounts and historical documentation of the 15 month horrific ordeal, but there seems to be something close to radio silence once it concluded. Much of what is documented is apologies from the “deluded” and “tricked” accusers and sentencers. I look up “Salem Witch Trials” on Google, and I’m greeted with other suggestions like “Trail of Tears” and “Reign of Terror.” Obviously it was an impactful enough phenomenon; why is there so little covered (or at least taught widely) about the aftermath?

Rather than do a thesis’ worth of research, I’d like to do a personal and creative thought experiment: what kind of scenario and atmosphere can I imagine in the wake of this fear-inciting event? I won’t be able to cover each (or any) individual fully, but the tidbits I think of help to fill in the gaps historians have left for us to analyze.

The Court of Oyer and Terminer has been shut down, but do the accusations and fear cease as well? I would argue no. Betty and Abigail continue to press Samuel Parris that they are being “greviously tormented” and Ann Putnam Sr., along with her daughter, continue to specify those who have sold themselves to the Devil in witchcraft. Parris vehemently urges the governor to repeal his decision to terminate the trials, but the governor - in fear and guilt - refuses, advising him to pray fervently and find solid evidence if he truly wishes to continue. Though there is no further legal or capital punishment involved with those accused but not hanged, their lives continue to be tarnished by the slanderous claims made against them. If they have survived the jail cell, they now live with its harrowing effects: maybe tuberculosis and malnourishment take hold of them physically, but the rest are done in by debt and lack of income. As the women walk into the town marketplace, they are refused business by sellers and buyers alike; their husbands can no longer make business transactions with other farmers, and their children are turned away harshly by school teachers. Each accused receives side stares and sneers as they walk through the village, and, the biggest blow of all, the doors to the church are closed to them. They live a lonely, isolating life, but perhaps they begin to find solace in the like experiences of the other accused. I do suspect that some reject the community completely, opting for a move to restart their lives. 

On the other end of the spectrum, the family of those convicted and executed reel from their loss, all the while combatting the seizure of property that rightfully belongs to them. Following the brutality of the witch trials, they are forced to endure years of more legal process as they battle those who have unjustly stolen from them, both figuratively and literally. Perhaps in a lack of fear or a lack of caring, they begin to speak out publicly against the accusers and their motivations; comments made under their breath in church - in the presence of Parris - become louder and louder criticisms of leadership, power, and authority in the village. Though many others agree with their sentiments, they continue to fear the influence of the afflicted girls, constantly reminded by the snowballed events of the past year. More than anything, people just want to forget, to distance themselves from the atrocities they either witnessed or participated in. Effectively, those who have been speaking out are eventually silenced, either by their own restraint due to lack of support or response or by leaving the community altogether. As the village presses on, sweeping many of the horrors of the trials under the rug, people begin to push the memories out of their minds, avoiding any and all reminiscing or ruminating. In yet another delusion of the small community, they begin to believe that the witch trials of Salem Village has not affected history or their way of life.