"The Trial of Martha Carrier"

Cotton Mather reports on the testimonies of several of Martha Carrier's accusers and victims. Although the tone of the descriptions seems objective, the absence of any other type of evidence and the repeated mention of lost cows suggest that the witch trial was more about personal vengeance than legal justice. Examine the example sentences to judge for yourself.

Here are all the word lists to support the reading of Grade 11 Unit 2's texts from SpringBoard's Common Core ELA series: The Crucible, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, The New England Primer, The Trial of Martha Carrier, The Lessons of Salem, The Very Proper Gander, Declaration of Conscience, Why I Wrote The Crucible, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, Speech to the Virginia Convention, The Gettysburg Address, FDR's First Inaugural Address , JFK's Inaugural Address
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. indictment
    an accusation of wrongdoing
    Martha Carrier was indicted for bewitching certain persons, according to the form usual in such cases, pleading not guilty to her indictment.
  2. considerable
    large in number, amount, extent, or degree
    There were first brought in a considerable number of the bewitched persons
  3. sensible
    aware intuitively or intellectually of something felt
    who not only made the Court sensible of any horrid witchcraft committed upon them
  4. depose
    declare under oath
    but also deposed that it was Martha Carrier, or her shape, that grievously tormented them by biting, pricking, pinching, and choking of them
  5. magistrate
    a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law
    It was further deposed that while this Carrier was on her examination before the Magistrates, the poor people were so tortured that every one expected their death upon the very spot
  6. afflicted
    grievously affected especially by disease
    Moreover, the look of Carrier then laid the afflicted people for dead
  7. credible
    capable of being believed
    They related place, time, occasion; they gave an account of journeys, meetings, and mischiefs by them performed and were very credible in what they said.
  8. evidence
    means by which an alleged matter is established or disproved
    Nevertheless, this evidence was not produced against the prisoner at the bar, inasmuch as there was other evidence enough to proceed upon.
  9. repent
    feel sorry for; be contrite about
    Her expressions in this anger were that she would stick as close to Abbot as the bark stuck to the tree, and that he should repent of it afore seven years came to an end, so as Doctor Prescot should never cure him.
  10. lance
    open by piercing with a surgeon's knife
    It bred into a sore, which was lanced by Doctor Prescot, and several gallons of corruption ran out of it.
  11. calamity
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    Sarah Abbot, his wife, also testified that her husband was not only all this while afflicted in his body; but also that strange, extraordinary, and unaccountable calamities befell his cattle
  12. testify
    give a solemn statement in a court of law
    Allin Toothaker testified that Richard, the son of Martha Carrier, having some difference with him, pulled him down by the hair of the head.
  13. variance
    discord that splits a group
    He further testified that when Carrier and he sometimes were at variance, she would clap her hands at him, and say he should get nothing by it; whereupon he several times lost his cattle by strange deaths
  14. malicious
    having the nature of threatening evil
    John Rogger also testified that upon the threatening words of this malicious Carrier, his cattle would be strangely bewitched
  15. preternatural
    existing outside of or not in accordance with nature
    Samuel Preston testified that about two years ago, having some difference with Martha Carrier, he lost a cow in a strange preternatural, unusual matter
Created on Tue Nov 11 11:14:12 EST 2014 (updated Wed Nov 12 10:25:55 EST 2014)

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