Politicians Order a Day of Thanksgiving in the Middle of the Witch-Hunt: June 17, 1692

Politicians Order a Day of Thanksgiving in the Middle of the Witch-Hunt: June 17, 1692

July 1692 Thanksgiving Proclaimed Amid Salem Witch TrialsJosh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack discuss events around Friday, June 17, 1692, noting that a day after Roger Toothaker’s death, Boston leaders ordered a colony-wide Thanksgiving for July 14 to celebrate the defense of Wells, Maine, and the May 14 arrival of Governor William Phips and Increase Mather after lobbying in London for a new charter. They highlight the disconnect between official celebrations and the realities of war, a bad economy, and the Salem witch trials, with five people under death sentence for witchcraft as of July 14 and dozens more jailed without any feast. They also note Phips held a personal celebratory feast for ship carpenters, and explain that in colonial New England Thanksgiving was an irregular, specially declared observance rather than an annual holiday.00:00 Daily Introduction00:08 Boston Declares Thanksgiving00:37 Trials and Death Sentences01:12 Phips Throws a Party01:27 What Thanksgiving Meant

The Death of Roger Toothaker: June 16, 1692

In today's Salem Witch Trials Daily, we look into the June 16, 1692 death of Roger Toothaker in the Boston jail. He was the 4th person to die from the Salem Witch Trials and the 3rd who died in jail, following Sarah Good's infant child and Sarah Osburn. (Bridget Bishop had just been hanged June 10th)Learn about Roger's life and family and their roles in the witch-hunt.

Mary Burroughs Abandons George Burroughs' Children: June 14, 1692

June 14, 1692: The Burroughs Children After Salem’s InjusticeWe take you to Tuesday, June 14, 1692, as George Burroughs’ third wife, Mary, leaves Wells, Maine with their baby, possibly before the siege ends on June 12, abandoning Burroughs’ seven children from his first two marriages to fend for themselves in a war zone. With their family property in abandoned Falmouth rendered worthless by conflict, the children’s plight is later captured in a September 1710 petition by son Charles Burroughs seeking restitution for their father’s execution, describing the scattered, helpless children, a stepmother unable to care for them all, and an estate largely lost and expended. Despite estimating losses far beyond, the seven children ultimately receive only 50 pounds to share, raising haunting questions about justice, restitution, and reparations in the aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.00:00 Daily Introduction00:09 Mary Burroughs Flees Wells00:28 Children Left in War00:40 1710 Petition Evidence01:13 Restitution and Losses01:47 Reparations Reflection

Katherine Branch Accuses Goody Miller of Witchcraft in Connecticut: June 13, 1692

June 13, 1692: Salem Lulls, Wells Attacked, and Goody Miller Slips AwayWe track a rare quiet day in the Salem witch trials as the Court of Oyer and Terminer sits between sessions and accusations taper off, with no new arrests after Ann Dolliver’s June 6 arrest until at least July 1, when a complaint targets Candy and her mistress, Margaret Hawkes. Our attention shifts north to Wells, Maine, where soldiers assess damage from repeated French and Wabanaki attacks and discover the body of a high-ranking French officer, Lieutenant General the Sieur de La Broquerie. In Boston, Governor Sir William Phips orders Major Samuel Appleton to send Essex County troops to reinforce Piscataqua and halts Massachusetts shipping until French threats at sea subside. In Fairfield, Connecticut, Katherine Branch accuses Goody Miller—who escapes to Bedford, New York, beyond Connecticut’s reach.00:00 Daily Introduction00:12 Salem Trials Lull00:35 Wells Maine Aftermath00:52 Phips Mobilizes Defense01:21 Fairfield Spectral Accusation01:40 Goody Miller Escapes01:42 Border Politics Wrap Up

The Siege of Wells, Maine Continues

Siege of Wells, Maine (June 12, 1692): French and Wabanaki Attack the English GarrisonWe’re on the front lines of the siege of Wells, Maine on Sunday, June 12, 1692, as French and Wabanaki forces march into town, form ranks, and unleash a coordinated volley at the English garrison houses—only to meet steady return fire that forces a withdrawal. The attackers try a fiery gamble, floating a raft of combustibles toward the sloops at the creek, but the tide betrays them; a final volley kills one Englishman before they turn on cattle across the river. Gunfire continues well after dark, keeping everyone on edge. We also unpack the bigger stakes: the long struggle for North America between English New England and French New France, and the Wabanaki Confederacy’s fight to survive and hold their land amid battles for resources and wealth.00:00 June 12th Update00:13 Siege of Wells00:30 Raft Attack Fails00:51 Nightfall Gunfire00:57 Why This Battle01:09 French English Rivalry01:44 Wabanaki Stakes