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AU Honors college
As part of my requirements for graduation from the AU Honors College, I partook in an original, year-long thesis project. For more information on the specific requirements of the Honors Thesis process, click the button on the left below. As well, click the button on the right to read my full-length thesis.
As part of my requirements for graduation from the AU Honors College, I partook in an original, year-long thesis project. For more information on the specific requirements of the Honors Thesis process, click the button on the left below. As well, click the button on the right to read my full-length thesis.
"Which Witch is Which?
A Study of Witch Trials Comparing an Italian to an American Example."
Motive
Motive
As I was a B.A. candidate in History, I chose to write a comparative history of two concurrent events: the Salem Witch Trials and the Triora Witch Trials. This topic combined my passion for learning about Italian culture and history (as I am an Italian-American) and U.S. History (my focus during my undergraduate program).
I sought to...
be a voice for these women seemingly lost to history.
examine what aspects of human nature could have led to these tragedies.
figure out how such similar events could occur in two different continents at practically the same time.
methodology
methodology
My methodology for completing this thesis project was first writing about Salem; doing an in-depth search of the context, proceedings, results, and historiography surrounding the trials. I used both primary and secondary sources dating back to about a year after the trials ended up until today from various Salem, Puritan, and New England colonial researchers. Then, I collected as many sources as I could get my hands on for Triora. These sources were much harder to come by because of the fact that I live in America and most of the sources were written and published in Italy. I got most of them through eBay and Amazon and I attempted to contact the Museum of Triora and a few authors but I didn’t get any responses. Then, using the same framework as Salem (context, proceedings, results, historiography), I collected all the information from these sources into charts of my notes and wrote out the second half of my thesis. As I was doing this for Triora, I was also keeping track of the similarities and differences between the two trials to make my final conclusions on the topic.
Similarities in cultural/political context
Similarities in cultural/political context
I found many similarities within the events/contexts that led up to the Salem and Triora trials. I have outlined below the main aspects of similarity with explanations of how that aspect manifested itself in that particular example.
concluding thoughts
concluding thoughts
Similar contextual elements and internal issues led to similar results, however, not one single cause can be attributed to these examples of witch trials. Rather, it is a combination of the cultural, political, socioeconomic, and religious factors that created an environment in both Colonial America and Liguria, Italy which begot these two events. So why do historians keep going back to study these examples of witch trials? I believe it is because these trials are examples of larger, more general aspects of the human condition such as mass hysteria, the inner workings of an isolated town, religious implications on law, understanding what is considered permissible in a “fair” trial and justice system, and the extremes of human capability. Historians keep returning (many trying to find a singular answer) because there is a fascination with anomalies in human nature as well as coming to conclusions about seemingly unexplainable things.
In honor of the lives affected by the events in Salem and Triora.
Non vi dimenticheremo.
We will not forget you all.
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