The Crucible
City: Salem, Massachusetts
Country: New England, North America
Year: 1692
FACTS ABOUT TIME/ YEAR
1. Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials began in March of 1692
On March 1, 1692, Salem, Massachusetts authorities interrogated Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and an Indian slave, Tituba, to determine if they indeed practiced witchcraft. So began the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Over the following months, more than 150 men and women in and around Salem were jailed on charges of exercising "Certaine Detestable Arts called Witchcrafts & Sorceryes." Nineteen people, including five men, were eventually convicted and hanged on Gallows Hill ; and an additional male suspect was pressed to death. Others died in prison.
The reason why this is relevant is because Arthur Miller based his play The Crucible on this tragic time in American history. He used the Salem Witch Trials and compared it to the times in which he was living in during the Red Scare. The link being the sacrifice of many innocent people because of the "public hysteria".
2. The Petition for Bail for Accused Witches
Many American colonists brought with them from Europe a belief in witches and a fascination with alleged conspiracies with the devil. During the seventeenth century, people were executed for witchcraft throughout the colonies, especially in Massachusetts. Many of the accused were women, prompting some recent historians to suggest that charges of witchcraft were a way of controlling women who threatened the existing economic and social order. In 1692 the famous Salem, Massachusetts, witchcraft trials took place, and that summer hundreds of people in the colony were arrested. Shown here is an appeal from ten women "besides thre or foure men" who were confined without trial in the Ipswich jail for many months. The petitioners--some "fettered with irons," some pregnant, and all "weake and infirme"--request that they be released on "bayle" to stand trial the following spring so that they do not "perish with cold" during the winter months.
The reason why this is relevant is because it has substantial proof that these events really did occur and many innocent individuals were imprisoned for absolutely nothing. I think that this has historical value, and is a sad but interesting piece of the towns history.
3. Plymouth Colony is Dissolved with the Arrival of Charter Annexing it to Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Plymouth Colony retained its independence for over 70 years, and by 1691 its population exceeded 7,000. It was integrated with the Massachusetts Bay Company's much larger colony to establish the royal colony of Massachusetts — now the state of the same name.
The reason why this is relevant is because it is important to know how many people were effected by the mass "witch hysteria".
4. October 29th 1692 marked the end of the "witch trials"
The reason why this is relevant is because it is important to know when not to set your play, if October 29th marked the end of the witch trials then you could not set your play at this time to keep the play historically accurate.
5. On June 8th 1692, government officials made witchcraft a capitol offense.
It is important to know when witch craft became outlawed in the town of Salem for setting purposes.
Facts about Location
Town of Salem
Link
1. Salem, Massachusetts is still in existence today. Its current population consists of as of (2010) 41, 340.
This is relevant to a production team because you would be able to access the City of Salem's website and contact anyone who works for the city when needing any type of historical information.
2. It was founded by Roger Conant. Who moved to what was then the town of Naumkeag looking for favorable conditions for a settlement. He later became governor.
This would be relevant to a production team, when looking up the background of the characters within the play. The Judge would most likely be the one in the play who would know the history of the town.
3. Each year over a million visitors from around the globe visit the town.
This would be relevant to know to a production team because during a performance you might have someone who has visited Salem, and they will have knowledge that you might not, and they would be able to point out what could possibly be wrong in your production.
4. It was home of the Salem Witch Trials, and is by far what the town is famous for.
It is relevant to know because it actually happened and people are still captivated by what occurred in this small town.
5. The town of Salem has multiple museums such as Salem Witch Museum, Witch Dungeon that tell the history of the Salem Witch Trials on which the play The Crucible is based.
This is relevant to a production team because you could email or call, or even if you were in driving distance to one or both museum's and you had any questions about the history of the town, what life was like in 1692, you could get in contact with someone who specializes in the history.
It is important to know when witch craft became outlawed in the town of Salem for setting purposes.
Facts about Location
Town of Salem
Link
1. Salem, Massachusetts is still in existence today. Its current population consists of as of (2010) 41, 340.
This is relevant to a production team because you would be able to access the City of Salem's website and contact anyone who works for the city when needing any type of historical information.
2. It was founded by Roger Conant. Who moved to what was then the town of Naumkeag looking for favorable conditions for a settlement. He later became governor.
This would be relevant to a production team, when looking up the background of the characters within the play. The Judge would most likely be the one in the play who would know the history of the town.
3. Each year over a million visitors from around the globe visit the town.
This would be relevant to know to a production team because during a performance you might have someone who has visited Salem, and they will have knowledge that you might not, and they would be able to point out what could possibly be wrong in your production.
4. It was home of the Salem Witch Trials, and is by far what the town is famous for.
It is relevant to know because it actually happened and people are still captivated by what occurred in this small town.
5. The town of Salem has multiple museums such as Salem Witch Museum, Witch Dungeon that tell the history of the Salem Witch Trials on which the play The Crucible is based.
This is relevant to a production team because you could email or call, or even if you were in driving distance to one or both museum's and you had any questions about the history of the town, what life was like in 1692, you could get in contact with someone who specializes in the history.
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