CSCH 1220 The Salem Witch Trials
This course will investigate the causes, course and consequences of the infamous witchcraft crisis that swept through Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Students will critically analyze and evaluate primary source evidence and varying historical, psychological and socio-economic interpretations as to how and why the Puritan community of colonial Salem fractured so catastrophically, and with such deadly consequences. Students will pay close attention to understanding Puritan religious beliefs, legal institutions and social and economic dynamics in the context of the trials. Students will also investigate their treatment in selected works of fiction and poetry. Students will visit Salem to critically evaluate the ways in which the events of 1692 are remembered, commemorated, forgotten, (mis)interpreted and/or exploited today. The course includes a required field trip to Salem (Danvers), Massachusetts. Sites visited will include Gallows Hill, The Salem Witch Museum; The House of the Seven Gables; Rebecca Nurse House; the Salem Witchcraft Memorial. A Field Trip Paper and readings on contemporary Salem's treatment and presentation of its past will be assigned in conjunction with the field trip.
LA