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Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 by Richard Godbeer
Godbeer, the author of “Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692,” presents an
engaging narrative about a witch trial that occurred in Stamford, Connecticut. This witch trial
resulted from accusations made by Katherine (Kate) Branch, a 17-year-old servant working
for Daniel and Abigail Wescot, a wealthy and prominent couple in Stamford. In the spring of
1692, Kate started experiencing painful fits, which included alternating episodes of paralysis
and convulsions. Following these experiences, she accuses local women of being witches,
claiming that they made appearances to her in different forms every night and tried coercing
her to sign a covenant with the Devil. Daniel and Abigail Wescot believed Kate and made
arrangements for her to meet with midwives, priests, and magistrates to help determine
whether Kate’s torments were real. As one reads the book, a question emerges: was Katherine
Branch truly bewitched, or was she just pretending? Evidence from the book suggests Kate
was bewitched, not pretending. The book describes multiple instances that lend support to this
conclusion. These include how real the physical symptoms she experienced were, the
involvement of the community in trying to diagnose her situation, and the influence of the
social and religious climate of the time. This essay explores how these aspects, together with
the historical setting, show that Katherine’s experiences resulted from deeply held beliefs and
not intentional deception.
The first argument to support the claim that Kate was actually bewitched is that the
physical symptoms she showed appeared too consistent and extreme to be dismissed as
fabrications. The author provides detailed and vivid descriptions of Kate’s experiences. He
describes her as "collapsing into agonized convulsions, crying out that invisible creatures
were pinching and priking her, weeping and moaning in helpless terror. At other times, she
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would sink into a paralyzed trance, stiff as a board and completely senseless”
(Godbear 3). Many members of the community in which Katherine Branch was living
witnessed these trances and convulsions, including Abigail and Daniel Wescot, the
people she was working for. Furthermore, Kate experienced these episodes with
striking consistency, resulting in the appearance of bruises and other physical
indicators of attacks on her body. These indicators and marks show that Kate
experienced genuine suffering, regardless of whether the cause was an underlying
condition or psychosomatic responses. We can further argue that even under the close
scrutiny of qualified people like the clergy, midwives, and doctors, a 17-year-old
servant may not be able to maintain a show for such a long period. If Kate had only
been pretending, these people would have used their expertise to uncover her lies.
We must consider the social and religious context of 1692 to determine
whether Kate was pretending or not. During this time, there was widespread fear of
the devil and witchcraft. A Puritan belief system dominated the area, making
accusations of witchcraft appear plausible. The author shows that the community in
Stamford at the time was deeply religious, and the members of the community would
take Kate’s claims about attacks by witches seriously. The author writes that Kate
“saw cats that sometimes transformed into women before her eyes and then changed
back into animal form” (Godbeer 3). Kate’s experiences of animals whose shape and
form shifted reflect the common imagery that was associated with witchcraft at that
time. Therefore, the details Kate gave resonated deeply with the beliefs and fears that
the community had. Therefore, one could argue that Kate firmly believed in the
existence of witches and their use of the Devil's power. Her trances and fits could have
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been a physical expression of those fears, only intensified by the pressure that characterized
her environment.
Besides the social and religious context of the time, community dynamics also
determined how the community perceived Kate’s experiences. The community members,
including Abigail and Daniel Wescot, wanted to understand the experiences Kate was going
through. The local midwife, Goody Bates, initially sought to uncover the possibility of a
natural explanation for the experiences Kate was going through. The author states that Bates
“saw no reason to ignore the possibility of a natural explanation” (Godbeer 17). However,
Kate continued experiencing fits and trances, which led to many people suspecting that
witchcraft was involved in her case. The fact that there existed conflicts between the Wescots
and the two accused women prior to the accusations could suggest that interpersonal tensions
influenced Katherine’s accusations. However, the involvement of the broad community, with
people from legal, medical, and religious backgrounds, means that the community did not
dismiss Kate’s experiences as manipulation or lies.
Another piece of evidence that Kate was not pretending is the evidence that was
collected following the examination of the bodies of the accused women. During the witch
trials, it was common practice to examine the accused women for any markings of the Devil
on their bodies. The author states that a group of women were “faithfully sworn, narrowly and
truly, to inspect and search her body” (Godbeer 94) to determine whether there were any
unusual marks, especially those that were thought to be placed by the Devil. The community
took this standard, despite its perceived unfairness and flaws, very seriously. If Kate had made
up her story, relying on such physical evidence would have been risky as it could easily prove
her claims false. The commitment of the community to these examinations shows that they
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had a genuine interest in getting answers and considered witchcraft a possibility in
Kate’s case.
In conclusion, textual evidence showed that Katherine Branch was not
engaging in pretense regarding the symptoms she exhibited. The involvement of the
community, religious people, doctors, and legal personnel in investigating her case
indicates that her experiences were likely real, especially in the context of her
community’s beliefs. The fear of the Devil and witchcraft, along with the social and
religious dynamics of the time, shaped the perception of her experiences and
accusations as genuine suffering and fear, rather than a desire for attention.
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Work Cited
Godbeer, Richard. Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692. Oxford University Press,
2005.