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Salem Witch Judge: The Life and Repentance of Samuel Sewall

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The note I wrote on the inside page of this book reads as follows:"Absolutely fascinating!" How come? Because Ms. LaPlante presents us with a character who lived as a giant in his own time. But more, she offers a clear picture of the potent religious world view and powerful lens of faith through which citizens of Puritan New England perceived the world and their place in it. The reader will find this approach not only interesting but, as the author describes Sewall's engagement with life and with his God, both existentially and theologcally terrifying. The witch trials arise from the nexus of life's uncertainty in 17th century Massachusetts and a fierce and unpredictable God through whom the likes of Samuel Sewall try to discern the "realities" of good and evil. He,his neighbors and colleagues can discern wrongly . . . as Sewall himself confessed some five years after the trials he oversaw as judge.
But enough of this. Ms LaPlante mines Sewall's diaries and public writings for - yes - romance! In addition, she finds him a humane and civil defender of Native Americans amid local, social contempt.Sewall wrote the first Anti-slavery tract in North America, a touching and compassionate piece. He testified from a vivid Biblical perspective in behalf of gender equality when such thinking brought widespread disdain. His personal and public presence as described by the author represent a monumental figure in early American history. You will find the book clearly written and every effort made to explain to ignorant moderns 17th century language and cultural nuances. The title tags Sewall as "Witch Judge." OK. But really, so much more. Indeed, absolutely fascinating!

The author of American Jezebel, a biography of the life of Puritan heretic Anne Hutchinson, has now meticulously chronicled the controversy surrounding Judge Samuel Sewall's involvement in the Salem Witch Trials. In Salem, Massachusetts during the year 1692, controversy erupted as scores of innocent townspeople, mostly women, were jailed based on witchcraft accusations from several adolescents of prominent families. Noting the power these children held over their victims, the hysterics spread to other townspeople, longing for respite from their dictated existences.

Salem Witch Judge uses Samuel Sewall's journals and letters to create a portrait of who the man was, what his motivations could have been, and the influence he wielded over rulings that continue to affect the American public today. Eve LaPlante pieces together the portrait of a Harvard intellectual plagued by constant self-doubt and regret. Indeed, Sewall was the only judge involved in the cruel mass hysteria that expressed remorse for his actions afterward.

LaPlante writes in-depth of the daily threats to survival, the uncertainty posed by the religious "freedom" sought in the New World, and the dynamics of various war actions and political movements that affected the lives of Americans. Surrounded by such constant turmoil and lacking scientific evidence of common afflictions, inevitably the people of Massachusetts turned to supernatural explanations. Haunted by the loss of six of his children to inexplicable illness, Sewall doubted his own piety and assumed God's displeasure with something he or his wife did was the cause of his own misery and suffering. Compounded with military disasters both locally and abroad, the sense of desperation among the people of Salem created a suitable environment for chaos to thrive.

Narrated by the author, a descendant of Sewall, Salem Witch Judge does well to present an alternative perspective of the historical fury motivating the executions of twenty innocents. Sewall himself began to exhibit regret and uncertainty, even in the midst of the accusations, which was in stark contrast to the actions of other judiciary members. In fact, the court that condemned the accused witches was experimental; the court of Oyer and Terminer was disbanded in October of 1692 by Governor William Phips shortly after his wife became one of the accused, despite his support of their actions previously. Mysteriously, the journals of Oyer and Terminer disappeared.

Though the focus of the book is on the individual, Samuel Sewall, LaPlante does an excellent job of showcasing the lifestyle of some of America's earliest settlers, including various Psalms and prayers utilized by the Puritans. It is from this perspective that the reader is able to more fully understand the series of events that caused such an incomprehensible upheaval within a community. A more thorough account could scarcely be found within the pages of a history textbook.

This fascinating account of an early American leader's
public and private life is the story of a good man who
was guilty of a terrible mistake. Seeing he did wrong,
Samuel Sewall had the courage to say so, and repent.
Eve LaPlante paints a vivid portrait of life in early
New England, especially the world of the educated
elite. Religion and the Bible were the dominant
intellectual features of a world ruled by fears and
disagreements only too comprehensible to us now.
Sewall and his peers worried about foreign relations
and governmental debt, and lived in constant fear of
attacks by Indians, pirates, and the French. "Salem
Witch Judge" offers an intriguing journey into a world
as far away as colonial America, yet at the same time
as close as the human heart.

Eve LaPlante's book on Samuel Sewell, one of the judges in the Salem Witch Trials (and her distant ancestor) is extraordinarily well researched, and her prose is easy to follow. Those not intimately familiar with the history of the time will appreciate her care in explaining details that many have now forgotten.

Ms. LaPlante's style is worthy of comparison to Claire Tomalin's (the author of the great biography of Sewell's contemporary, Samuel Pepys). She well explains the beliefs and folkways of the times, i.e., Massachusetts in the last half of the 17th century. She reminds us of the extraordinary "dangers, toils and snares" (to quote a later hymn) that the New England colonies had gone through after the first, pleasant, and peaceful foundation of the colonies at Boston and Plymouth, exacerbated by the sudden war with France that followed the accession of William and Mary in 1688. All these people could do was to ascribe to witchcraft the disasters that in reality were the inevitable result of our ancestor's struggle to make their homes in a world that had finally become hostile to them.

Remarkably, Sewell was semi-ostracized by his pastor, who came to feel the witch trials were unjust, and in response, he made a public confession of the sinfulness of his Court's proceedings -- the only judge to do so.

The book should be read along with the great book about the era, "Manitou and Providence", with the sermons of Cotton Mather and his father, Increase (some of them, at least) and of course with Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible", which takes some license with historical fact, in the service of a very good story.

Author Eve LaPlante, who is a descendant of witchcraft judge Samuel Sewall, covers her subject well in this book. Life was difficult in Puritan New England with death being a common visitor to families with many children lucky to live beyond the age of five. Puritans came to America for land and religious freedom, but were not accepting to those whose beliefs differed from their own. People often questioned their salvation and figured that hard times such as diseases and death among family members was due to having angered God in some way. Prayer was the most accepted method of dealing with a sick individual. A vaccination for smallpox was viewed by many as unacceptable. Surprisingly enough, Cotton Mather was open to the idea. Women certainly took a back seat in Puritan New England with their job being the bearing of children. Puritans even questioned whether or not women would be in God's heavenly kingdom. Approximately half of the book deals with the witchcraft craze of 1692, a belief they brought over from Europe. The question of whether or not the girls believed they were afflicted will never be settled. If they did it to spice up their otherwise humdrum lives they could be charged with murder. Judge Samuel Sewall had the courage to own up to his mistake while the other judges did not. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne added a "w" to his last name to disassociate himself from his ancestor John Hathorne who was an unrepentant judge at the trials. It seems difficult to believe that judges could convict people based on spectral evidence whereby you could prove where you were at a certain time, but you couldn't prove where your "shape" was. The final section of the book relates the latter part of Judge Samuel Sewall's life and others who were influential during this time period. The author also provides us with directions to visit sites mentioned in the book. I have done previous reading on this subject during my college days, and this is one of the best sources I have come across.

The author, a direct descendant of Samuel Sewall, provides a much-needed full assessment of the life of her notorious ancestor. The most important fact in this book is provided in the frontispiece illustration--a portrait of Sewell's apology before his congregation for his role in the witch trials and executions, known by few, if any, readers outside Massachusetts' students of history. Sewell was the only judge to apologize for his role in this horrific episode in American history.
More fascinating, though, are the other extraordinary acts of repentance enacted by the judge over his long life. And his writings are nothing less than astounding--including examinations of experiences of various groups and even a piece on women - making him an equalitarian of the first order centuries ahead of his time. At the least, official historical accounts of what happened at Salem need to include information about Sewall's apology and repentance.

In 1692, magistrate Samuel Sewall sat on the Massachusetts Court along with other zealous judges hosting the trials of hundreds accused of witchcraft by their neighbors. He convicted over thirty people of the crime and oversaw the execution of twenty by hanging and one by large stones pressing down on him. Some of the executed were friends of the presiding judge. Five years later, removed from the frenzy and reflecting what he and others wrought, Samuel repented taking responsibly for the "shame and blame" and grief he caused. No other judge showed even the slightest remorse.

Eve LaPlante provides a great biography of Judge Sewell, who like her previous nonfiction (see AMERICAN JEZEBEL: THE UNCOMMON LIFE OF ANNE HUTCHINSON, THE WOMAN WHO DEFIED THE PURITANS) is apparently an ancestor of the author. Combining diaries by Judge Sewell with anecdotes by her Aunt Charlotte, Ms. LaPlante provides a deep gripping description of a deeply religious Puritan who realized looking back at the atrocities that fundamental extremism led to unnecessary deaths; basically governmental theocracy sanctioned murder. A doting father and husband, he spent the rest of his life following his public confession atoning for what he felt were sins he committed as he wrote papers demanding equality, justice and freedom for everyone even Indians, women, and slaves. This is a timely well written look at the one SALEM WITCH JUDGE who regretted his role in the Salem witch-hunt.

Harriet Klausner

One of the fiercest criticisms leveled against politicians comes when they are perceived to "flip-flop". It is a common strategy to display an incumbent candidate's voting record on an issue "then" and "now", implying that because they flip-flopped they cannot be trusted, but is that what flip-flops prove? Eve LaPlante's book Salem Witch Judge: The Life and Repentance of Samuel Sewall tells a different tale. Sewall is one of the many judges that participated in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, and she quotes from this politician's diary, "Men think `tis a disgrace to change their mind.... But there is not a greater piece of folly than not to give place to right reason." (pg183). Sewall knew what he was talking about; he was the only judge from the Salem Witch Trials to ever publically repent of his part in the hysteria.
The opening chapters unfold slowly and may be tedious for those not passionate about American history; but they effectively lay the groundwork to understand the mind set of 17th century New Englanders in such a way that you can almost understand how things got so bad. How bad was it in 1692 New England? "In total 185 people - 141 women and 44 men- were accused of witchcraft. Of the 59 people tried, 31 were convicted and 20 were executed." (pg 177). Somewhere around 50 people confessed, several (including children) under torture, to escape the death penalty. What may surprise the reader is how forward thinking the judges thought themselves to be! Judge Hathorne (the great- great grandfather to Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, whose deep shame at his ancestor's involvement caused him to change the spelling of his last name) was particularly proud of the proceedings because they weren't using the European method of testing witches by "tying a suspect's thumbs to her toes and throwing her into deep water." In Europe, those who floated would be executed as witches, those who drowned were posthumously declared innocent.
As the book unfolds the reader is captivated by the struggle of Judge Sewall as he begins to doubt the righteousness of the trials and then to grieve with him as he comprehends the true evil he participated in.
Though his public confession in 1694 is a turning point, Judge Sewall realizes that true repentance is a process, not a one time action. The process leads him to write on many topics considered to be "firsts" in defending the rites and privileges of others. He is the first to publish a booklet against slavery in America, which stops not at abolition but argues for racial equality (no he didn't own any slaves)! A popular question of the age was whether or not women would be in heaven after resurrection "since they were no longer needed." He wrote in his diary how the very question "irritated him" and wrote a book Talitha Cumi that defended women's place as partners in creation and equal before God. His writings on the environment have been compared to Emerson and Thoreau and called a "harbinger of the environmental movement."
Sewall's "flip-flop" seems sensible to us but he was shunned by his fellow judges when he made his confession and he was not exonerated by historians in own time even though he had confessed. When the madness stopped and the histories began to be recorded almost 30 years later Sewall was shocked to find entries about himself as a Salem Witch Judge in David Neal's 1720 book History of New England to 1700.
They may not be popular but perhaps what we need today are more politicians like Sewall, ready to flip-flop when reasons demands. Salem Witch Judge should be required reading for every American public servant.

We already know lots about the witch trials,this gives us a look at the those involved in the background. It is filled with descriptions about the people and events, plus the actual places the events occurred in. I appreciated all the details and never found it to be boring. I grew to admire Samuel and was sad reading of his last days. It's a terrible loss that we will never know what the women were thinking, especially Samuel's wife who had a hard life to say the least. I would have loved to have her perspective on those days. The author noted all the present day places that still remain, from that time. I really enjoyed this book and it makes me want to read more about the subject and explore the areas that they took place in.

Samuel Sewall ought to be better known. In an era when politicians and public figures find it impossible to apologize even when they are caught in the act, Samuel Sewall offered a public apology when none was expected. He also advocated for the education of Native Americans (sponsoring one young man to Harvard College) and paid to publish his own tract arguing that yes, women do go to Heaven (when it was thought "there is no need of them there"). His advice to his 17-year-daughter about choosing a suitor was touching and would be considered thoughtful and respectful even today.

Eve LaPlante is a diligent historian and a very good writer. I do think, however, that her book could have benefited from some rigorous editing. The story contains too much detail, much of which is simply not necessary to the central story, and adds to the factual overload. The saga of the Sewall's 14 children (only about half of whom survived to adulthood) could almost be a book in itself, but it is told out of chronological order, so I ended up confused about how many children they had, who died, and when. (A chronology at the end of the book cleared this up.) It seemed at times that the author had done so much painstaking research that she was loathe to let even single trivial fact go unpublished, but reading that a minor character was the first cousin of someone's brother's widow's daughter did not enrich the story and did not have anything to do with Samuel Sewall. I also don't need to know the cargo list of an investment ship, etc. A good editor could have cut the excess and put all the elements in clear order, so the reader could just enjoy the story without getting bogged down in pages and pages of extraneous minutiae.

I am eager to read "Judge Sewall's Apology," by Richard Francis, to see if the story is better (and more simply) told in that book. Still, if you have a lot of time to read, and you are interested in many details about politics, life, and religion in Puritan America, I recommend this book.