A Study of the Salem Witchcraft Trials and Its Relevance to the

Gay Oppression in the United States from the 1950s to 1970s

Submitted by: Sandra Aguilar

11333804

Submitted to: Dr. Fernando A. Santiago Jr.

USAHIST A51

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1692 was the year when it all began. Accusations,

persecution, and death began in the said year when the Salem

Witchcraft Trials began in Salem Village, Massachusetts. Nineteen

men and women were all convicted of being witches and were

immediately persecuted in Gallows Hill where a barren slope lies

(Linder, 2009). They were all put to death through hanging.

Rebecca Nurse is one of the victims of this heinous condemnation.

In her grave were words written by John Greenleaf Whittier,

“O Christian Martyr Who for Truth could die

When all about thee

Owned the hideous lie!

The world, redeemed from superstition's sway,

Is breathing freer for thy sake today.”

That time was indeed a time of superstition. Was it

hysteria? Was it reality? Or was it a mere superstition? These

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questions arose when people are looking for the reasons on why

the Salem Witchcraft Trials had happened. Nonetheless, the legacy

of the trials shows a deeper meaning in which was instigated

throughout the years to follow.

1950 was the year when the Inglewood Police Department and

the Inglewood Unified School District produced a video entitled

“Boys Beware” in which it had stated that homosexuality was

infectious like “small pox” and that gays were dangerous and

there could be a chance that they are murderers (Sloan, 2013).

There was the anti-homosexual legal system in which it condemns

all the gays and their acts. Moreover, from the years 1947 until

1950, four hundred people who were working in the government were

fired for the suspicion of being homosexuals (City, 2012). The

Federal Bureau of Investigation or the FBI kept a list of known

homosexuals together with where they all gather and meet. Aside

from that, the United States Postal Service kept the addresses of

those who were receiving suspicious gay-oriented materials in

their homes. These were all stereotypes that could have been

avoided. Just like the Salem Witchcraft Trials, injustice was all

over.3

To be discussed in this paper are two events in American

history that led to the changes that had happened in the United

States today. The first is the Salem Witchcraft Trials wherein

accusations led to immediate persecution. The second is the

emergence of the gay oppression in the 1950s until the 1970s. The

relevance of these two events will be recognized which would then

lead to my reflection and how could it help to the American

society today.

Salem Witchcraft Trials

The Salem Witchcraft Trials started with three women:

Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn when they were accused and

examined in the courts for being witches. They were accused by

two women and the Putnam family. The accusations were not clear.

The villagers accused them for just deformed animals and bad

cheese and butter. Linder (2009) contends that, “The magistrates, in

the common practice of the time, asked the same questions of each suspect over and

over: Were they witches? Had they seen Satan? How, if they are not witches, did they

explain the contortions seemingly caused by their presence? The style and form of the

questions indicates that the magistrates thought the women guilty.” A persecution

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followed after the investigations and the verdict. An excerpt of

Tituba’s examination on March 1, 1692 states,

“Examiner: Why doe you hurt these poor Children? whatt harme have thay done ont you?

Tituba: thay doe noe harme to me I noe hurt them att all.

Examiner: Why have you done itt?

T:I have done nothing; I Can‘t tell when the Devill works

Examiner: what doe the Devill tell you that he hurts them?

T:noe he tells me nothing

Examiner: doe you never see Something appeare in Some shape?

T:noe never See any thing”

Stated above are Tituba’s answers on the accusations of the

people and the examiners. In here, she says that she does not do

anything and that did not harm or hurt the children. Furthermore,

according to Linder (2009), evidence in the cases were gathered

from “hearsay, gossip, stories, unsupported assertions, and surmises” which then

proves that the trials were pure stereotypical and was not

examined properly. Another instance was the case of Rebecca

Nurse. She was a respected and religious woman was accused of

hurting some members of the Putnam family. Pleading not guilty,

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the judge forced the trial to be open again because he thought

that Nurse was somehow admitting guilt. With these, the

examination took place and it says that,

“Goody Nurse, here are two Ann Putman the child & Abigail Williams complains

of your hurting them. What do you say to it

Nurse: I can say before my Eternal father I am innocent, & God will clear my

innocency

Here is never a one in the Assembly but desires it, but if you be guilty pray God

discover you.

Then Hen: Kenny rose up to speak

Goodm: Kenny what do you say

Then he entered his complaint & farther said that since this Nurse came into the

house he was seizd twise with an amaz'd condition.

Here are not only these but, here is the wife of Mr. Tho: Putman who accuseth

you by credible information & that both of tempting her to iniquity, & of greatly

hurting her.

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N:I am innocent & clear & have not been able to get out of doors these 8. Or 9.

Dayses.”

Although claiming her innocence, the verdict was still guilty.

Along with four others who were convicted of the same case, they

were hanged in Gallows Hill on July 19, 1692. On the other hand,

those who have been accusing women of being witches were accused

as well to be of the same being (Linder, 2009). Not all convicted

were hanged. One victim was stoned to death. This was Giles

Corey. According to Robert Calef, an eyewitness to the trials,

Giles’ tongue was being pressed out of his mouth through the

Sheriff forcing it using his cane when Corey was already dying

(Calef, 1700). Corey’s death played a big role in the public

opposition of the trials. They knew they had to stop. According

to Reverend John Hale, “It cannot be imagined that in a place of so much

knowledge, so many in so small compass of land should abominably leap into the

Devil's lap at once.” The halt to the trials were started by the

educated elites in Salem. The efforts of people like Increase

Mather and Samuel Willard included demanding the court that the

spectral evidence be excluded. Also, they distributed published

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papers that argues that the “devil might create the specter of an innocent

person” (Linder, 2009). These writings had an influence to the

court and it had a good outcome. After the writings were

distributed and had a profound influence to the court and the

society, twenty-eight people were acquitted and the last three

convicted witches were given pardon. Moreover, come May of 1693,

the court released all the prisoners that were convicted guilty

of being witches. This had put a halt to the trials in Salem,

Massachusetts. Hundred years after, a study made in Science

magazine in 1976 to explain the behaviors of the people

condemned. According to study, the “bewitched” attitude of the

residents was due to the fact that what they ate had fungus erot

in it (Trials, 2014). This bacterium is commonly found in rye,

wheat, and other cereals. Toxicologists say that this bacterium

causes symptoms like delusions, vomiting, and muscle spasms. The

hysteria concluded with as stated by Trials (2014),

“In January 1697, the Massachusetts General Court declared a day of fasting for

the tragedy of the Salem witch trials; the court later deemed the trials unlawful,

and the leading justice Samuel Sewall publicly apologized for his role in the

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process. The damage to the community lingered, however, even after

Massachusetts Colony passed legislation restoring the good names of the

condemned and providing financial restitution to their heirs in 1711. Indeed, the

vivid and painful legacy of the Salem witch trials endured well into the 20th

century, when Arthur Miller dramatized the events of 1692 in his play “The

Crucible” (1953), using them as an allegory for the anti-Communist “witch hunts”

led by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s.”

Analyzing the political power play during the Salem

Witchcraft Trials, it is obvious that the judiciary was full of

injustice. In my opinion, considering that the judges in the

court considered gossips and hearsays as a factual and concrete

evidence, it reflects that the system before was not a reliable

one. Bad judgments were made. Plus, the injustice delivered in

Salem was intolerable because it had put innocent people to

death. Long story short, the event of the Salem Witchcraft

including its trials was of gullibility and even an excuse to

political purposes by people at that time. Because of the

injustice experienced, the government intervened and passed a law

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“restoring the good names of the condemned and providing financial restitution to

their heirs in 1711” (Trials, 2014).

On the other hand, the religious power play interfered more.

Christianity was the religion involved during the time of the

Salem Witchcraft Trials. The belief of the Christians that the

devil bestows powers to some people to harm others paved the way

for the accusations of the people to being witches. Furthermore,

some members of the church in Salem themselves were accused of

being witches. In my opinion, there is a stronger religious power

play in 1629 than the political power play in those times because

in the first place, there wouldn’t be the trials if it weren’t

for the belief of the Christians.

The Context of the Salem Witchcraft Trials

The context of the history of the Salem Witchcraft Trials

was injustice, stereotype, and gullibility. These were also the

effects of the power plays of the two institutions: the political

and religious. There was injustice because of the evidences that

forced people to condemn some of being witches; they were not

given the proper procedures as the accused. Although the year10

showed that the country was still developing, there was no place

for injustice because there was already a system of government,

but no system of good governance. Stereotype also emerged to be a

part of the context of the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Once you’re

suspected to be a witch, you are convicted to be guilty already

although there are no clear evidences. There was a stereotype on

going that if you are the cause of the animals’ deformities, then

you are immediately a witch. Convictions and punishments will be

followed. The Salem Witchcraft Trials were also a product of

gullibility. The political institutions were gullible to believe

everything they say even though it was a product of false

information. With these, the lessons reflected upon the history

of the trials never seemed to reflect the people of America as it

paved way for another instance of injustice, stereotype, and

gullibility.

Gay Oppression in United States from 1950’s to 1990’s

The Dilemma with the Federal Government

The end of the first world war meant the end for the career

of military men and personnel who were gays and lesbians (Ford,11

2013). En masse firing of the public employees who were

homosexuals happened from 1946 to 1969. These events were tagged

as “witch hunts” because not only firing happened, but thorough

investigations, harassments, and oppression (Williams Institute

of Law, n.d.). Moreover, according to the Williams Institute of

Law (n.d.), hundreds of thousands of employees were forced to say

that they were not homosexuals in order to send a message to the

LGBT community that being homosexual would lead to unemployment.

Moreover, in order to be employed, there was a loyalty oath to be

put into words before being able to work (Williams Institute of

Law, n.d.). This resulted to 20% loss in the work force of the

United States federal government. Applicants were also rejected

coming to know what their sexual orientation was. For suspected

homosexuals who work in the government, more than a thousand men

were fired. This was a rate that was much higher than the firing

of suspected communists which was also going on at that time

(Williams Institute of Law, n.d.).

The Emergence of Gay Rights Movement

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Because of the discrimination from the government and

oppression from the other people and places of work, Harry Hay

and Chuck Rowland founded the first homosexual political

organization called “The Mattachine Society” in November 1950

(Morris, n.d.). When interviewed by Vito Russo in 1983, Harry Hay

spoke about the reason he formulated the first gay right movement

in the United States saying,

“I wanted to be involved with helping people to better their lives and find ways in

which they could become people in their lives… I find myself thinking that this is

what I wanted to do and always I believed because I’m believing this, I guess,

since I was about thirteen or fourteen that I would help other people and

someday, when it came time for me to find out who I was and to tell other people

how beautiful it was to be what we call then a temperamental man because they

didn’t have the word gay then…” (Hay, 1983)

When one of the founding members of The Mattachine Society

was arrested, the members bawled out and rallied for the

immediate release. The charges were dropped. However, there was a

media blackout with regards to information on homosexuality and

so the victory of Dale Jennings was not televised, printed, or

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broadcasted. Instead, the Mattachine Society printed out the

information and spread it from their own hands (Ford, 2013). With

this, the members of the organization grew and the fight against

gay oppression transcended. According to Ford (2013), even though

the fight was going on, republican senator Joseph Mccarthy led

the organization to its neutralization. More organizations became

involved with homosexual rights but they were just small.

Moreover, Milt Ford in his essay entitled “A Brief History of

Homosexuality in America” stated that,

“Still, the ugliest of all forms of discrimination was and is undoubtedly gay

bashing, especially when carried out by public officials. Police harassment and

brutality have been constant features of gay and lesbian life for decades.

Indefinite detainment's, beatings, and public humiliations are only the tip of the

iceberg. Lesbian and male drag queens through the 1950s and 1960s suffered

frequent rapes and sexual assaults committed by police officers, sometimes

inside police precincts. Moreover, police were certainly no help when beatings,

rapes, and lesser indignities were visited upon gay and lesbian people by

civilians.” (Ford, 2013)

Moreover, Bryan (n.d.) argues that,

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“The dominant perception of homosexuality in the 1950s was that it was a

disease. The psychiatric community was nearly unanimous in this assessment

and others took their cue from this stance. Most employers and government

agencies barred homosexuals with morality clauses and they were widely

considered to be security risks. In daily language they were often defined as

"deviants", "perverts", or "inverts", when they were not being painted as

pedophiles.”

The Stonewall Riots

Stonewall Inn, located in New York’s Greenwich Village was a

bar where homosexuals could congregate, meet, and talk properly.

This was a boost in their social lives. Moreover, this was the

place where organizations such as The Mattachine Society met and

talked about several issues regarding their advocacy. With the

emergence of such gay bar, the homosexual community attracted

support from either gay or straight with liberal minds to uphold

such advocacy. However, when New York City became the host to the

World’s Fair in 1964, then Mayor Robert Wagner was scared that

the image of the city would be stained because of the gay bars

and restaurants around the city. This started the raids of

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various bars which led to the revoking of liquor licenses and

eventually closing of some of the gay bars. Consequently, the New

York Police was bribed by the owners of the bar (the American

Mafia) so that the operations of the gay bar would be on going

(City, 2012). And so, the Stonewall Inn kept on operating. By

then, City (2012) argued that the Stonewall was the most popular

one. According to him,

“There were several gay-oriented bars in the Village in the 1960s, but none so

popular as the Stonewall. The building at 51-53 Christopher Street had originally

been built in the 1840s as horse stables. They were renovated into a restaurant in

the 1930s, and operated as such until being destroyed by fire in the 1960s. The

Genovese crime family purchased the space and renovated it into a bar, and

when it opened in March of 1967, it was the largest gay bar in the United States.”

(City, 2012)

However, on the 28th of June year 1969, 4 police who dressed

as undercover came in the bar and garnered evidence that were

used to shut down and close the place. Then, more policemen came

and barricaded the area. With the policemen investigating the

area, the men protested and even refused to display their IDs.

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They went out of the bar and hundreds of supporters came and

rioted. The scenario was violent as the supporters started to

throw bottles to the heads of the policemen and even attempted to

destroy the police cars (City, 2012). At that time, 500

supporters were already fighting against the officers and started

spraying lighter fluid to the windows and doors of the bar. In

response, the policemen smashed people to the ground with their

billy clubs. The fighting lasted until 4:00 in the morning, a

total of four hours of violence (City, 2012). The riots continued

for a number of days. As City (2012) narrated, “Rain prevented

widespread riots for the next few days, and life returned largely to normal, but the Gay

Rights movement had been born.”

The 1970s and the Push for Anti-Discrimination Laws

The movement attained an achievement when the American

Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality as a mental

illness. With this, the employers of different companies and

offices started to hire again homosexuals and even awarded

custody to them. During the 1970s, homosexual organizations

pushed the legislators for anti-discrimination laws. The first

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city to open its doors to homosexuals was San Francisco when

Harvey Milk who was openly gay was elected to be the San

Francisco City Supervisor from district 5 (Ford, 2013). More

changes came after although it took a very long time for the

recognition of gay rights.

The Context of Gay Oppression from the 1950s to the 1970s

Just like the Salem Witchcraft Trials, the context of the

history of the gay oppression in the United States from 1950s to

1970s is of injustice, stereotype, and gullibility. Homosexuals

were not given the proper trial nor were they treated properly.

They were considered the lower forms of society back then who

were told that they could not do anything about who they are.

They were unemployed so they were broke. They were not given the

proper justice especially with their jobs because they were

immediately fired once even suspected as a homosexual. In

addition, there was the stereotype back then that if a person is

a homosexual, he/she is immediately tagged as a murderer who

wears sunglasses all the time. Furthermore, the stereotype was

added that homosexuality was a mental illness which was then also

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taken back by the American Psychiatric Association. One could say

that there was gullibility at that time. Because of the

stereotypes and different false accusations at that time, people

believed immediately with the accusations especially that the

government strengthened it through the laying off of the

homosexuals who worked in the government and the discharging of

those in the military.

Analysis

Although with hundreds of years of interval, the context

that the “witches” were immediately put to death and the context

that the homosexuals were fired from their job show that the two

historical events have a similarity. As George Santayana have

said, “Those who never learn from the past lessons of history are

condemned to repeat it”, it is seen that the Americans have not

learned from their lessons in history. Also, what was similar in

the two events in history was the condemnation of the public to

these people as if they were superior to the witches or the

homosexuals. Moreover, the government’s support on the two events

was also similar. The government during the 1600s pushed for the

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killing of the accused witches while the government from the

1950s to the 1960s pushed for the trial of the homosexuals who

have done nothing wrong but just being themselves. The accusers

were highly respected and very powerful. Also, the two events

both happened because of fear and paranoia. The Salem Witchcraft

Trials happened because of the fear of death of many “victims” of

the witch while they gay oppression and its trials happened

because of the fear of people in pedophilia and same sex

intercourse. Mostly, it was impossible to prove their innocence

because they were already judged either as gays or as witches and

even though it was put to a halt, the damage for the two has been

applied and was already done. They were both public trials which

shamed the victims. However, the difference was that the witches

were innocent while they gays were condemned because of them

being homosexuals. Moreover, the casualty was that during the

witchcraft trials, there were actual death but for the gay

oppression, there were just physical beatings but both left a

psychological damage to the community involved.

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Conclusion and Reflection

Doing a research on two historical events, namely the Salem

Witchcraft Trials and the gay oppression from the 1950s to the

1980s, tells that history does have a say in the events to come.

In my opinion, these two events left a mark in history that

actually shows us why today a gay pride parade emerges or why

proper judicial proceedings are given to the accused no matter

how weird that case he/she is into. Furthermore, these two

historical events reflected the changes that the society has

achieved today: the acceptance and the respect that each one gets

and the equality one enjoys no matter what the religion, race, or

sex, a person has. What I would like to emphasize was that these

two events did not only embedded a lesson and a mark to the

United States but also to other countries with the emergence of

human rights and equality as one of the top priorities of the

governments today of different countries.

In conclusion, the context of the two events on why it

happened was because of paranoia, fear, and the inability to

adapt to change. Although what happened was already done and a

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part of history, it should serve as a lesson to be understood and

remembered by the society that history indeed plays an important

role in the events that happen. Moreover, the lesson here is not

to condemn people right away and find the context on why such

events happen. In the case of the two historical events, the

otherwise was done. And so, what history tells us is to look

deeply on instances that needs judgment and reflect upon the past

events that have emerged and look upon the lesson that it implies

because as the English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley have

said, “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most

important of all the lessons of history.”

References

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for N. Hillar and J. Collyer.

Ford, M. (2013). A Brief History of Homosexuality in America - Allies & Advocates -

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in-america-30.htm.

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HTM.

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