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Required reading:
Hoffer, Peter Charles. The Salem Witchcraft Trials. University of Kansas Press, 1997. ISBN: 0 7006 0859
Outline for Essay on Hoffer
Questions posed by Hoffer:
1) How did the Salem trials change the way people looked at their world?
2) Is history the product of irresistible forces or is it guided by human intervention or agency?
3) Could Salem happen again in our times?
Suggested Outline of Essay
This essay can be as linear as Hoffer’s narration, that is, starting with the prime players, developing the plot of the trials,
highlighting the procedures of the trial and concluding with the meaning of the whole episode. As with the Polk essay,
this one must include a brief background of Hoffer and an evaluation of the book overall. Please do not overlook the
comparison with Polk. I am interested in your reactions to the differences in their approach to history–the big picture vs
the more single-event focus. Here is what the essay might look like:
I. Foundation
A. Hoffer–his background and approach to the subject
B. Organization of the book
1. Salem and individuals involved
2. The Accusations of Witchcraft
II. The Legal Proceedings
A. Persons in charge
B. Witnesses
C. The end of the Trials
III. Evaluation
A. Value of book in itself
B. Contribution to understanding US Colonial History 1600 – 1800
C. Legacy
1. Parallels Hoffer draws with current issues
2. Additional comparisons from colonial America to US today
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