Early American History

Exorcising the Past: The Historiography of Witchcraft Cases in England and New England

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I have been fascinated by witchcraft trials since I was a child. This fascination is partly rooted in a childhood that was filled with my Grandma’s stories of our ancestor who was hung as a witch during the Salem Witch Trials.[1] Today, I am more drawn to understanding the array of interpretations historians have developed to explain the phenomenon of witchcraft accusations. It is believed that the last legal execution of an alleged witch occurred in 1782 at Glarus, Switzerland.[2] Astonishingly, even before the last execution took place skepticism surrounding witch hunts developed among educated European elites. In an attempt to rationalize witch hunts, these early interpretations enlisted “monocausal” explanations blaming the trials on the alleged bigotry and ignorance of the clergy and judges. Essential to these explanations was the assumption that witch hunts occurred because of a pre-enlightened past in which irrationality and a lack of science enabled persecution. This Crucible- like interpretation is still the most widespread understanding of witchcraft trials in popular culture. [3]

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SAMPLE LESSON PLAN: AP AMERICAN HISTORY

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BEGINNINGS (1491-1607)

1.1. Pre-Columbian Era: New World Groups and Societies

(Lecture and Informal Class Discussion)

Objectives:

  • Explain and discuss the characteristics of the various New World groups and societies who occupied the region prior to contact with Europeans.
  • Emphasize how these groups represented diverse cultures and societies that built complex civilizations.
  • Push students to move away from a monolithic view of Native American peoples.

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Divided, Middle, and Native Grounds: The Redskins Controversy and its Historical Implications

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By Terumi Rafferty-Osaki and Rebecca DeWolf, Ph.D.

On September 25, 2014 of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, beat reporter Jason Jones interviewed fans of the Washington Redskins on one panel and a group of Native American activists on another. During the last few moments, Jones brought both panels together to create more of a dialogue. Long-time fan Maurice Hawkins, however, protested the move; he argued that he would not have worn his Redskins jacket had he known about the upcoming encounter.[1] This segment also came on the heals of the South Park episode, “Go Fund Yourself,” a satire that questioned the use of the Redskins name to promote a new start up company. During the episode, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone made light of the fact that the US Patent and Trademark Office canceled the Washington Redskins’ trademark registration this past June. These are only a few examples of the firestorm over the decades-long struggle to change the Redskins team name.

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