Embedded Files
Getting Started...
Some possible search terms for databases/search engines:
"faith" AND "justice"
"faith" AND "court system"
"religion" AND "justice"
"religion" AND "judicial system"
"guilt" AND "innocence"
"Puritanism" AND justice
Read:
EBSCO Research Starter - "Puritanism"
Learn more about the Puritan system of beliefs, history, and practices here.
Learn more about who the Puritans were and what life was like for them in the 17th century.
ThoughtCo. - "Salem Witch Trials Timeline"
This webpage from ThoughtCo. offers some brief background information on the events leading up to the trials, and then a detailed timeline of events which provides useful data on how justice was enacted throughout the 13-month period which came to be known as the "Salem Witch Trials".
"Salem Witch Trials: What caused the hysteria?"
This History.com article looks at some of the factors (including faith) which contributed to the scale and seriousness of the Salem Witch Trials.
This video from Arizona State University and Crash Course serves as a helpful overview of Puritanism in early New England, and provides some helpful context for how the justice system played out for those accused of witchcraft (particularly women) within that culture.
Gale Databases
Gale Databases
The Vermont Online Library is a great source for reference, news, magazines, audio/video files and more.
Use Gale in Context: High School for general resources/searches. Get started with this article about a special event at the Human Rights Council which aimed to explore the role of faith in the fight for gender justice and equality: "A faith perspective on women's rights at the Human Rights Council"
You can also look to the Gale OneFile: Religion and Philosophy database to find useful articles exploring the intersection of faith and justice. One example is this article from Buddhist-Christian Studies, "Compassion as Justice".
Note: You can filter your searches by content level in all of these databases!
Britannica School
Britannica School
Britannica School is a great place to start most research projects. You'll find helpful articles offering foundational information for your topic, plus additional resources and recommended web resources connected to your topic (see the "Related" tab in each article).
Try the Britannica School entry on "Faith" for an overview of the subject. You might also look at the entry on "Puritanism" for more context for the setting of "The Crucible". See also, the entry on "Justice" for a very brief definition of the term, and then continue on to the more expansive entry on "Social Justice" which explores the philosophical roots of the concept.
U.S. Major Dailies
U.S. Major Dailies
For relevant newspaper sources, try searching the U.S. Major Dailies database from ProQuest. Log in with your CSD Google account.
There has often been tension in the U.S. between religious beliefs and political ideals of law and justice. For one perspective, watch this 2-minute clip of a New York Times interview with U.S. Senate candidate from Texas, James Talarico, discussing his views on how the "Religious Right" uses faith in politics. Another article from the Washington Post entitled, "Two Versions of Christianity Battle for America's Soul" takes a closer look at the seemingly disparate ways that Christianity has been interpreted by different public and political figures in recent days, and the possible motivations for these differences.
Reminder: Explore the "More Like This" and "Related Articles" sections in each of the database articles in order to find more resources and dig deeper.
Society and Religion in the New England Colonies
The New England colonies organized society around the Puritan religion and family farming. In this video, Kim Kutz Elliott explores New England settlers' reasons for immigrating to North America and their farming and fishing economy.
Making Connections:
When Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, he was thinking about the "Red Scare" and McCarthyism of the 1950s and what he saw as an abuse of power and a miscarriage of justice during that time.
Read this overview of the history of our justice system in the United States (especially the section on Colonial times): EBSCO Research Starter - "Criminal Justice in U.S. History". Do you find any connections between the Salem Witch Trials and the hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee?
One of the main kinds of evidence presented in the Salem Witch Trials was what is called "spectral evidence". This form of evidence was highly suspect at the time and was not normally accepted as a legitimate form of evidence. What does its inclusion in these trials mean for the legitimacy of the trials overall? What does it say about how Puritan ideals of faith and justice intersected in the Salem Witch Trials?
The usual rules of law that had been practiced in the Massachusetts colony prior to the witch trials were not in play at the time of the Salem Witch Trials - read about why that was and what did take place here.
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