Witches of Hartford: Social Misfits of Colonial America in the Early 1600s

Abstract

In my paper I want to tell the stories of the “witches” of Hartford, Connecticut and one witch from East Hampton who was case was tried in Hartford. There stories help to show why they were accused and what made these cases different from places like Salem. The stories of these “witches” also shows what made people believe they had these “magic” abilities. The paper mainly focuses on the accused witches Elizabeth Seager and Elizabeth Garlick, their stories were unique among stories of witch accusations. Seager was accused and brought to court three times, while Garlick after she was found not guilty her husband turned and sued the town for slander. All in all they have unique and interesting stories, so my paper will focus on their stories and their towns. This is an important topic because it teaches us how religion can affect the way people feel, think and act, which is important to understanding a culture and its history.