There are many descendants of these individuals and it makes you realize how important history is to your being here at all. My great grandmother was hung and her sister as well. I am far more interested in her and the fact that her grandson was a Minute Man at the Battle of Lexington. These people were vital to the history and creation of this nation.
Being a direct descendant of Thomas Putnam and Ann Carr, thru their youngest son, Seth, I find this most interesting, I have known most of my life on this association, and the name Putnam is still a family name…We will be visiting Salem and the surrounding area in mid-September, and are so looking forward to it.
Thanks for your comment, Bill. I love hearing from Salem Witch Trials descendants. Have fun on your trip to Salem! It was also quite interesting to be able to see, and photograph, the gravesite of Gen.
Israel Putnam, and later, his homeplace. We did, as well, visit a store just next to the house, and found it to be owned by a descendant of the General. Our next venture will be to Charlestown to find the location of his gravesite. The Sargent family as well as the Blodgett families still live in that area. I just love these essays on the History of Massachusetts in the 17th. Keep up the good writings and research. Thanks, Bill! I really hope they can get the funds they need. Glad you enjoyed your trip!
Please let me know what you find out. I did take pictures and videos of our visit to the Putnam Cemetery, and thanks to the Mass. State Police Division HQ, I was allowed to park on their grounds, and walk up to the graveyard, with no problems. He was named after HIS Putnam ancestors who came along before him. Just found out that Thomas Putnam, Jr is my 9th grt grandfather!! Researching my ancestors is amazing. I love making the connections to ancestors I never knew I had. Your article was informative, easy to understand, and simply awesome!!!!
Just found out today of my family connection to the Putnam family. Thomas Putnam Jr is my 8th great uncle. His sister Prudence Putnam Wyman is my 7th great grandmother. Will be putting a trip to Salem and Danvers on my bucket list. Putnam is an old family name and I knew General Israel Putnam was my ancestor but never knew until I went on Ancestry that Thomas Putnam was my 9th great grandfather.
Have always been interested in the Salem witch trials butt never knew the Putnams were involved this much. Wow, thanks for the info. My ancestors were one of the families that Putnams were known to be feuding with. Porters , for which I have alot of research data. They arrived as part of Winthrop fleet from England.
Despite feuding, one of their children married a Putnam! Putnam—who is already in the courtroom—be brought in to this other room by Reverend Parris. When Putnam enters, Danforth says, "Mr.
Putnam, I have here an accusation by Mr. Corey against you. He states that you coldly prompted your daughter to cry witchery upon George Jacobs that is now in jail.
As Giles points out, if Jacobs is convicted of witchcraft, then his land goes up for public auction, and, he says, "there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. Putnam is essentially asked to address this charge, and all he has to say is that it is untrue. At this point, the magistrates begin to question Giles as to the identity of his supposed informant. However, because Giles knows that this man will be arrested and likely found guilty of wrongdoing himself, he will not give the name.
Eventually, Danforth holds him in contempt of court for his refusal to do so. Putnam are two of the main characters perpetuating witchcraft hysteria throughout the community. They are both deeply involved in the witch trials, and Giles Corey mentions that Thomas Putnam is reaching out for land at the beginning of act 3. Deputy Governor Danforth calls into the court to speak with Thomas Putnam, who is more than likely watching the witch trials with the rest of the community.
Deputy Governor Danforth then tells Thomas Putnam that Giles Corey has a deposition from a respected community member who claims to have heard Putnam telling his daughter to accuse George Jacobs of witchcraft. Danforth is horrified, and Abigail refuses to respond to the accusations, which disturbs Danforth even further. Danforth orders Elizabeth Proctor brought in for questioning on this issue after John insists that Elizabeth is incapable of lying.
John and Abigail are both forced to turn their backs to her as she is questioned, so she doesn't know that John has already confessed to the affair. When questioned further, she lies and says that her suspicions were unfounded to protect John's reputation. Danforth takes this as proof that Proctor is lying about the affair and dismisses Elizabeth. He believes Proctor is telling the truth. All the girls start repeating everything Mary says.
Danforth once again is convinced by this charade. Danforth asks Proctor a couple of accusatory questions. Proctor condemns Danforth for contributing to fear and ignorance by failing to expose the girls as frauds. He also blames himself for hesitating to come forward with the truth. He sees that the darker tendencies within himself and others have led to this calamity, and they will all go to Hell in the end.
Danforth orders Proctor and Corey arrested and sent to jail. Hale is disgusted with the way Danforth has conducted the investigation and refuses to be a part of the proceedings any longer. This is how I picture Mary Warren's fake bird-spirit. She's kind of a chicken. Here's a list of the key quotes that are most relevant to the thematic developments that unfold in Act 3.
I'll briefly explain the significance of each in context. For a more expansive take, check out our full list of key quotes from all four acts. This is a sharp time, now, a precise time - we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world. To maintain control, they seek to create an illusion of precision in the sentencing process. One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence.
But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims - and they do testify, the children certainly do testify.
As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out?
It gives us insight into the twisted logic that court officials have adopted in the face of hysteria. This means every case is inevitably a he-said-she-said situation where the accused person is immediately mistrusted and coerced into confessing without any chance to defend herself. The terror surrounding witchcraft and the Devil is so great that officials ignore the fact that the accusers might have reasons to lie about their experiences.
Danforth, I only thought I saw them but I did not. Mary Warren attempts to explain her actions earlier in the play with limited success. She is faced with skepticism from the judges after such a drastic change in her testimony. Mary tries to describe getting swept up in the experience of being in the courtroom. All of her friends were screaming about witches, Danforth believed them, and then the town believed them as well.
I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud - God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!
This has become a matter of pride for them. They have all actively chosen to encourage ignorance and paranoia out of self-interest rather than inject critical thinking and logic into the proceedings.
There's no turning back now. In this section, I'll provide a brief analysis of each of the major themes that show up in act 3 of The Crucible. I'm working on a full thematic analysis that should be coming out soon, so stay tuned! There is also an instance of tragic irony at the end of this act when Elizabeth is brought in for questioning after John confesses to his affair with Abigail.
Not knowing that he has already confessed, she lies to protect him. She portrays herself as an irrationally jealous wife, "I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her out on the highroad" pg. The one time when the perpetually honest Elizabeth chose to lie also happened to be the time when it was most critical for her to tell the truth. Both she and John take actions to protect each other in different ways, but they end up worsening the situation because their priorities are misaligned.
The hysteria on display in The Crucible reaches its peak during Act 3. Throughout, there are examples of the court officials ignoring logic and evidence in favor of ignorance and paranoia. It becomes clear that the court has chosen to believe the accusers, and any evidence presented indicating that they are frauds is discounted. When the petition testifying to the good character of the accused women is presented, the reaction from Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris is to arrest the people who signed it rather than consider that this might indicate the women's innocence.
The power of mass hysteria is further revealed when Mary can't pretend to faint outside of the emotionally charged courtroom environment. She believed she had seen spirits before because she was caught up in the delusions of those around her. Abigail also distracts the judges from any rational investigation in this act by playing into the mass hysteria. This is not a decision that is made lightly in a town where reputation is so important.
She acts under the assumption that his reputation is still of paramount importance and does not reveal the affair.
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