The Puritans In New England

The Puritans were religious exiles that left their home of England and settled in the New England states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire. This would later be known as the “Mass Bay Colony”. From 1630 – 1643 over 9,000 people migrated from England. The Puritans believed they would “purify and reform” their own religion by creating a “righteous Utopia” which would break ties from Catholicism and the rule of the Kings of England. They were led by John Winthrop who was also a lawyer. The Puritans believed if they honored God with their strict and severe “work ethic” they would succeed and be chosen by God. This became known as the “Protestant Work Ethic”. Their belief was that hard work is a Christian duty and it
A farmer had testified that several of his cattle suffered strange deaths soon after he and Carrier had an argument. His young daughter, Phoebe Chandler added that she had been stricken with horrible stomach pains soon after she heard Carrier's voice telling her she was going to be poisoned. Even Carrier's own children testified against her. They children said their mother tried to recruit them as witches. The worst testimony came when three young girls came into the courtroom. They began shouting out in pain at the sight of Martha Carrier. They said they could “see the devil whispering into Carrier's ear.” The judge found this evidence very convincing, and a few days later she was hanged. About eight weeks later, a seventy-one-year-old Rebecca Nurse was judged and then sent to the gallows. George Jacobs, whose servant girl accused him of witchcraft, was also hanged a month after that. It became a judgment based off “feuds” between townspeople proclaiming, “spectral evidence” against their enemy. Spectral evidence is when a witness claims that a spirit or specter has appeared before them, spoke to them, or to the accused witch and in turn they would accuse that person of