Martha Corey, Last Woman Hung in the Salem Witch Trials

Martha Corey, Last Woman Hung in the Salem Witch Trials Martha Corey (c. 1618–September 22, 1692) was a woman in her seventies living in Salem, Massachusetts when she was hanged as a witch. She was one of the last women to be executed for this crime and was featured prominently in playwright Arthur Millers allegorical drama about the McCarthy era called The Crucible. Fast Facts: Martha Corey Known For: One of the last people hanged as a witch in the 1692 Salem witch trialsBorn: c. 1618Parents: UnknownDied: Sept. 22, 1692Education: UnknownSpouse(s): Henry Rich (m. 1684), Giles Corey (m. 1690)Children: Ben-Oni, illegitimate mixed-race son; Thomas Rich Early Life Martha Panon Corey, (whose name was spelled Martha Corree, Martha Cory, Martha Kory, Goodie Corie, Mattha Corie) was born about 1618 (various sources list anywhere from 1611 to 1620). Little is known about her life outside the records of the trials, and the information is confusing at best. The dates given for Martha Corey in the historical records do not make much sense. She is said to have given birth to an illegitimate mixed-race (mulatto) son named Ben-Oni in 1677. If so- she would have been in her late 50s- the father was more likely a Native American than an African, though the evidence is scant either way. She also claimed to have married a man named Henry Rich in about 1684- in her mid-60s- and they had at least one son, Thomas. After he died on April 27, 1690, Martha married the Salem village farmer and watchman Giles Corey: she was his third wife. Some records say that Benoni was born while she was married to Rich. For 10 years, she lived apart from her husband and son Thomas as she raised Benoni. Sometimes called Ben, he lived with Martha and Giles Corey. Both Martha and Giles were members of the church by 1692, and Martha at least had a reputation for regular attendance, though their bickering was widely known. The Salem Witch Trials In March 1692, Giles Corey insisted on attending one of the examinations at Nathaniel Ingersolls tavern. Martha Corey, who had expressed skepticism about the existence of witches and even the devil to neighbors, tried to stop him, and Giles told others about the incident. On March 12, Ann Putnam Jr. reported that she had seen Marthas specter. Two deacons of the church, Edward Putnam and Ezekiel Cheever, informed Martha of the report. On March 19, a warrant was issued for Marthas arrest, claiming she had injured Ann Putnam Sr., Ann Putnam Jr., Mercy Lewis, Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth Hubbard. She was to be brought on Monday, March 21 to Nathaniel Ingersolls tavern at noon. During the Sunday worship service at Salem Village Church, Abigail Williams interrupted the visiting minister, Rev. Deodat Lawson, claiming she saw Martha Coreys spirit separate from her body and sit on a beam, holding a yellow bird. She claimed that the bird flew to Rev. Lawsons hat, where he had hung it. Martha said nothing in response. Martha Corey was arrested by the constable, Joseph Herrick, and examined the next day. Others were now claiming to be afflicted by Martha. There were so many spectators that the examination was moved to the church building instead. Magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin questioned her. She maintained her innocence, stating, I never had to do with Witchcraft since I was born. I am a Gospel-Woman. She was accused of having a familiar, a bird. At one point in the interrogation, she was asked: Do not you see these children and women are rational and sober as their neighbors when your hands are fastened? The record shows that the bystanders were then seized with fitts. When she bit her lip, the afflicted girls were in an uproar. Timeline of the Accusations On April 14, Mercy Lewis claimed that Giles Corey had appeared to her as a specter and forced her to sign the devils book. Giles Corey, who defended his wifes innocence, was arrested on April 18 by George Herrick, the same day Bridget Bishop, Abigail Hobbs, and Mary Warren were arrested. Abigail Hobbs and Mercy Lewis named Giles Corey as a witch during the examination the next day before magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. Her husband, who defended her innocence, was arrested himself on April 18. He refused to plead either guilty or innocent to the charges. Martha Corey maintained her innocence and accused the girls of lying. She stated her disbelief in witchcraft. But the display by the accusers of her supposed control of their movements convinced the judges of her guilt. On May 25, Martha Cory was transferred to Bostons jail, along with Rebecca Nurse, Dorcas Good (misnamed as Dorothy), Sarah Cloyce, and John and Elizabeth Proctor. On May 31, Martha Corey was mentioned by Abigail Williams in a deposition as disquieting her divers times, including three specific dates in March and three in April, through Marthas apparition or specter. Martha Corey was tried and found guilty by the Court of Oyer and Terminer on September 9. She was sentenced to death by hanging, along with Martha Corey, Mary Eastey, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Dorcas Hoar, and Mary Bradbury. The next day, Salem Village church voted to excommunicate Martha Corey, and Rev. Parris and other church representatives brought her the news in prison. Martha would not join them in prayer ​and instead told them off. Giles Corey was pressed to death on September 17–19, a method of torture intended to force an accused person to enter a plea, which he refused to do. It did result, however, in his sons-in-law inheriting his property. Martha Corey was among those hanged on Gallows Hill on September 22, 1692. It was the last group of people executed for witchcraft before the end of the Salem witch trials episode. Martha Corey After the Trials On February 14, 1703, Salem Village church proposed revoking the excommunication of Martha Corey; a majority supported it but there were six or seven dissenters. The entry at the time implied that the motion failed but a later entry, with more details of the resolution, implied that it had passed. In 1711, the Massachusetts legislature passed an act reversing the attainder- restoring full rights- to many who had been convicted in the 1692 witch trials. Giles Corey and Martha Corey were included in the list. Martha Corey in The Crucible Arthur Millers version of Martha Corey, based loosely on the real Martha Corey, has her accused by her husband of being a witch for her reading habits. Sources Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. The Witchcraft Trial of Martha Corey. History of Massachusetts Blog, August 31, 2015.Burrage, Henry Sweetser, Albert Roscoe Stubbs. Cleaves. Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine, Volume 1. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1909. 94–99.DuBois, Constance Goddard. Martha Corey: A Tale of the Salem Witchcraft. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company, 1890.Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin Books, 2003.Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. Lanham, Massachusetts: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2002.Rosenthal, Bernard. Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Top 12 Creative Writing College Programs †Pro-Academic-Writers.com

Top 12 Creative Writing College Programs It may be too difficult to choose a dedicated creative writing program at the institution of your dreams. Another thing you should care about is how to pass the admissions process. Anyway, there are always some world-known alternatives that attract most of the students. Our team has researched several options in the field of creative writing colleges and corresponding programs to come up with this list of the top demanded colleges for creative writing in the USA. How Did We Choose? College rankings do not always reflect the reality. US News rating might be the most accurate, but you still have to rely on the obvious information you find about each creative college of your interest. We have prepared our own list based on the feedback of thousands of students as well as some other crucial factors. Mind not just what the rankings are, but how they are defined. Our top list will assist in your personal investigation. While observing, don’t forget to take notes which might be useful for your further admissions essay. In case you’re having some troubles with creative or academic writing, contact online writing help website to get a winning personal statement. First of all, it is important to understand which criteria I have used to name the best colleges in the field of creative writing. My first stage was to narrow down my search results by leaving only those institutions that proposed a particular creative writing major degree. In case you are sure in the competence of some schools which are not on the list, it may mean they only offer minors. While ranking those schools, we considered 5 basic factors: MFA Ranking  - This point stands for the level of local personnel proficiency and the number of smart students specific college attracts. We have looked through professors’ qualifications to choose the best places in terms of teaching. It was also noticed that colleges with powerful MFA programs tend to possess perfect alumni networks and internship options. At the same time, one has to realize that a lot of colleges with excellent undergraduate programs lack MFAs. Overall Creative College Reputation  - You still have to understand that the majority of your future classes will be in other areas than creative writing. Thus, we have evaluated the level of teaching other subjects such as English and Literature as well. Extracurricular Opportunities  - Another benefit of obtaining major  in creative writing is that it can lead to various creative writing opportunities after class, meaning part-time job and other activities. That is why our team has taken into account such features as internship programs, author readings, and literary magazines offered by the explored college. Learning Diversity - We have awarded extra points to each creative college with a large range of professional fields and interesting additional classes.   Alumni/Prestige  - We can say that deciding on this criterion is a rather subjective process, but we tried to do our best. We have searched for the famous writers released by the particular institutions. The product of any university is its graduates, so they have to be evaluated in order to assess the quality of local teaching. Possessing a brand name degree can be useful in many life situations. Top Preferred Creative Writing Schools Now it’s time to look at the list itself. It is not that easy to locate these wonderful creative colleges objectively, so we would say that it is simply the list of the best schools, not just another rating. While those placed on the first five places are simply amazing, the rest might be called super good. So, don’t take the numbering close to your heart.   #1: Northwestern University Northwestern's undergrad creative writing program  has conquered the hearts of many students as it is run by acclaimed tutors and graduates who became word-known authors (i.e., Veronica Roth with her â€Å"Divergent†). The University suggests that students get involved in such activities as running literary journal, interning at a publication, or submitting to the Department of English's yearly creative writing competition.   #2: Columbia University The institution offers two great programs: the one in creative writing and the one in journalism. Being located in NYC, students have an opportunity to try their best in local publishing houses and literary journals. #3: University of Iowa University of Iowa's  Graduate Writer’s Workshop is what makes this place absolutely special. It is called the most wanted MFA program in the US. Famous writers and established professors allow choosing from a large list of subjects. University’s literary community will provide you with any book or manual you need for free. #4: Emory  University If you have a desire to study creative writing along with the most professional authors and scholars, Emory  is right for you. Except for the regular classes, each student has a chance to visit questions-answers face-to-face sessions with the award-winning writers and journalists. You will be able to work closely with a personal counselor to complete an honors project. #5: Oberlin College Oberlin  is actually a pretty small liberal arts school in Ohio. Lena Dunham, who attends the school regularly to speak to the students, was among the local alums. Students can pursue writing in the surrounding city. #6: Hamilton College One more tiny college, situated in upstate New York. Local students have a pure interest to observe topics both during the lectures and out of the classroom. The opportunities to intern and publish impress.   #7: Brown University Brown's Literary Arts  program is known for one of the leading MFAs in the United States. Core requirements are excluded, so students are free to explore additional topics after classes with the help of the stellar English department and screenwriting program. #8: Washington University in St. Louis Enjoy local magnificent MFA program along with the diversity of topics, wide range of scholarships, and creative writing jobs you may find outside the university. #9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Even though the place has a lot to do with technology, it still has a special creative writing program. It can boast an interesting course in digital media. Besides, except for creative writing, students can master the art of scientific writing. It provides each student with an extraordinary set of skills and more career perspectives.   #10: University of Michigan The University of Michigan  is one of the best American universities in general. It is obvious that it offers a top-notch MFA. The program is aimed to provide every interested student with the excellent creative writing major and good reputation. #11: Johns Hopkins University Remove engineering major from the list of this university, and you’ll get enrolled in the dedicated creative writing program. After passing its valuable courses, one will be able to compose poetry, fiction as well as official reports  and persuasive essays. #12: Colorado College One more small liberal arts college on the list. It is outstanding thanks for the block plan, which makes it possible to concentrate on a single class per three-and-a-half-week block. You’ll take four writing workshops and visit every reading of the Visiting  Writers Series. Don’t forget about New York University writing opportunities as well! How to Make a Final Decision? Don’t lose your head – have a look at the most important criteria to consider when selecting the degree and college which is right for you. Are you interested in the suggested college courses? Analyze which skills you wish to obtain and what each college program offers. Match your personal desires with what the target school proposes. What opportunities are expecting after your classes? Discover whether there will be an opportunity to practice your creative skills outside the college. It can be everything: from campus newspaper to local music or fashion magazine. Who'll be teaching you? The best way to decide on this factor is to analyze Rate My Professor section of each college’s official website. Pay attention to objective comments only. What is the alumni’s future? Find out who used to graduate from the walls of your target college. Are these people successful?   What about the rest of the school? Analyze and evaluate all courses provided by your college. Make sure to select the college where you like the entire curriculum so that you won’t have a desire to miss some classes. All you have to do once you decide on your target college is to prepare a creative writing piece (personal statement + cover letter) and apply for the chosen program. In case there are any obstacles on your way to inspiring creative writing,  contact online writers and buy original admissions essay or cover letter that would increase your chances to be accepted.