Sarah Osborne was accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in the late 17th century. There were several reasons that led to her accusation. First and foremost, Sarah Osborne was seen as an outsider in the community. She was a widow and had not attended church regularly, which made her a target for suspicion. Additionally, Sarah Osborne was involved in a land dispute with her neighbors, which further fueled the accusations against her. In a time when land ownership held great importance, such disputes could easily escalate into personal vendettas.
Sarah Osborne
Written By Meghan Carroll
Born in Watertown, Massachusetts in about 1643, Sarah Warren married Robert Prince, a Salem Villager who purchased a 150-acre farm next to Captain John Putnam's. Putnam was Prince's neighbor and also his brother-in-law and the executor (along with Thomas Putnam) of his will. When Prince died prematurely in 1674, he left his land entrusted to his wife Sarah with the provision that upon their coming of age, it be given to his and Sarah's two sons -- James, who was six-years-old at the time, and Joseph, who was two. However, soon after her husband's death, Sarah hired an indentured Irish immigrant by the name of Alexander Osborne as a farm hand and paid off his indenture. Rumors spread about Sarah and Alexander's living together and eventually the two were married. Sarah, then attempted to overtake her children's inheritance and seize control of the estate for herself and her new husband, thus breaking her deceased husband's will. Legal battles ensued between Osborne and her children, who were the rightful heirs of Prince's land and were defended by the Putnams. Such conflict continued until February of 1692 when Sarah Osborne became one of the first three persons accused of witchcraft in Salem.
Sarah was accused by Thomas and Edward Putnam, Joseph Hutchinson, and Thomas Preston for afflicting Ann Putnam, Jr., Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth Hubbard. Unlike the other two women accused with her, Tituba and Sarah Good, Osborne never confessed to witchcraft nor attempted to accuse anyone else. In her own defense, she was the first defendant to assert in her defense the theological claim that the devil could take the shape of another person without their compliance -- a view that eventually prevailed and brought the Salem trials to a halt. Nonetheless, Osborne never came to trial because she died, shackled in prison on May 10, 1692 at the age of 49.
Why was Sarah Osborne accused of witchcraft? To answer this question, we must look closely at the society in which she lived and at her reputation in it. Historians Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum argue that many of the accused witches were perceived as upsetting established "patterns of land tenure and inheritance." Sarah Osborne fits this profile. Not only was Salem Village aware of her fornication with Alexander (an obvious Puritan sin), but by endeavoring to gain full ownership of her late husband's estate, she disregarded her society's set practices of inheritance and land tenure, and challenged the tradition of strong, extended family alliances. By aspiring to deny her two sons of their wealth and social position, she threatened the growth and stability of Putnam family alliances in Salem Village.
Is a woman who betrays her society's social and family conventions worthy of an accusation of witchcraft? Not in today's society, but in seventeenth century New England these offenses were socially and economically serious, and a threat to the divinely sanctioned social order. Specifically, the Putnam family's economic interests and inheritance grew less secure by Sarah's attempt at social and economic independence. Consequently, but not surprisingly, it was members of the Putnam family who accused Osborne.
While such theories may offer explanations as to why Sarah Osborne, as opposed to her husband Alexander, was accused of witchcraft, we might also ask why she was actually convicted. If only 19 of the approximately 160 people accused were actually executed, what prevented Sarah Osborne from surviving? Unlike Tituba and Sarah Good who both confessed to witchcraft and falsely accused Osborne, Osborne did not confess nor did she accuse anyone else, and hence unknowingly at this stage, she closed an opportunity that might have saved her. Even though it later became apparent that the way to survive an accusation was to confess and to point fingers at others, Sarah Osborne repeatedly affirmed her innocence. When asked by local officials why she practiced with the devil, Osborne responded with bewilderment that she "was more like to be bewitched than that she was a witch." Ultimately, it was her refusal to compromise her integrity that cost Sarah Osborne her life.
Bibliography
Boyer, Paul and Stephen Nissenbaum, Salem Possessed, 1974.
Carol F. Karlson, Devil in the Shape of a Woman, 1998
Bernard Rosenthal, Salem Story, 1993
Sarah Osborne Facts And Overview
Sarah Osborne was one of the first people to be accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts Bay.
She was accused around the same time as Tituba and Sarah Good.
The Salem Witch Trials would become one of the most tragic events in Colonial America.
- Family Life
- Accusations
- Salem Witch Trial
In a time when land ownership held great importance, such disputes could easily escalate into personal vendettas. Moreover, Sarah Osborne's reputation and behavior also played a role in her accusation. She was known for her unconventional lifestyle and was seen as a rebellious figure by the conservative community.
Family Life
Sarah Osborne (Warren) was born in Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1643.
She would be married two times, with her first husband being a wealthy man named Robert Prince. Prince was the brother-in-law and neighbor of Captain John Putnam, a member of the notable Putnam family that would eventually include the Revolutionary War General, Israel Putnam.
Sarah and her husband moved to Salem in 1662 and had two sons and a daughter:
In 1674, Robert Prince died, and to help with the kids, Sarah hired an Irish indentured servant, Alexander Osborne.
In a classic love story, Alexander and Sarah fell in love, but he needed to pay off his indenture before he could remove that status from him. He did, and the two married. However, the two were guilty of fornication, which was looked on with shame in Salem.
Controversy arose when Sarah Osborne took over the estate of her deceased husband. This was against social norms and against her late husband's will.
She and her new husband, Alexander, took over the estate, which would cause a problem with her kids and Thomas Putnam, who was the executor of Prince's will.
Such behavior was considered inappropriate and was often associated with witchcraft. Another factor that contributed to her accusation was the prevalent fear and paranoia surrounding witchcraft during that period. Salem was gripped by a mass hysteria, with many believing that witches were responsible for ailments, crop failures, and other misfortunes. In this atmosphere of fear, anyone perceived as different or suspicious could be accused of witchcraft. Finally, Sarah Osborne's age also worked against her. She was an elderly woman at the time, and older women were often targeted as witches, believed to be more susceptible to temptation by the Devil. In conclusion, several factors led to Sarah Osborne's accusation of witchcraft. Her outsider status, involvement in a land dispute, unconventional behavior, fear of witchcraft, and her age all played a part in making her a target during the Salem witch trials..
Reviews for "Sarah Osborne and the Salem Witch Hysteria: A Case Study"
1. Jennifer - 1/5
The book "Why was Sarah Osborne Accused of Witchcraft" was a complete disappointment. The writing style was dull and lacked any sort of engaging storytelling. The author failed to provide any concrete evidence or convincing arguments as to why Sarah Osborne was accused of witchcraft. Instead, it seemed like a disjointed collection of random historical facts with no clear connection. I found myself struggling to stay interested and ended up giving up before reaching the end. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking an informative and well-written account of witchcraft trials.
2. Robert - 2/5
I was initially intrigued by the topic of witchcraft trials and was excited to read "Why was Sarah Osborne Accused of Witchcraft." However, I found the book to be quite tedious and difficult to follow. The author jumped back and forth between different time periods and characters, making it confusing and hard to keep track of the narrative. The lack of clear organization made it hard for me to fully grasp the story and understand the motivations behind Sarah Osborne's accusations. Overall, I was left disappointed and unsatisfied with this book.
3. Emily - 2/5
"Why was Sarah Osborne Accused of Witchcraft" was not what I expected. The writing style was dry and lacked any sort of emotional connection. It felt more like reading a history textbook than an engaging account of witch trials. The author failed to delve deep into the cultural and societal factors that led to Sarah Osborne's accusations, which left me feeling unsatisfied. Additionally, the lack of any real analysis or interpretation made the book feel shallow and unconvincing. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-researched and engaging exploration of the witchcraft trials.
4. Mark - 1/5
I found "Why was Sarah Osborne Accused of Witchcraft" to be a frustrating read. The author failed to provide any sort of coherent narrative or compelling arguments to answer the question posed in the title. The book was filled with various historical tidbits that felt disjointed and unrelated to the main topic. It was as if the author was trying to cram as much information as possible without any regard for clarity or organization. Overall, I found this book to be a waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the witchcraft trials of the past.