Letter to England by Sir William Phips

The Salem Witch Trials represent an interesting moment in US history. It is an event that
creates much intrigue among those who study. A particularly interesting document from this
event is the Letter to England, written by Governor William Phips in October of 1692 in Boston,
Massachusetts. He was appointed as royal governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in May of
1692 and he appointed the council of the special Court of Oyer and Terminer to hear the
witchcraft cases, as explained by Gretchen Adams in The Specter of Salem (15). By October of
1692, there was serious unrest and concern over the trials and proceedings, particularly over the
use of spectral evidence. Spectral evidence was evidence that involved the accuser having a
convulsion, hallucination, or spiritual attack, and blaming it on the supposed witch. This
evidence was not considered reliable proof of witchcraft, but was often used as significant and
critical evidence in cases, despite cautionary warnings that it not be used in this way (Adams,
16). Because of this, Gov. Phips canceled the scheduled October trials and wrote two letters to
the Privy Council in London to explain his decision in doing so and to ask for further instructions
on how to proceed in the colony (Adams, 17).
In these letters, he explains that many innocent people were being accused, tried, and
convicted on the strength of spectral evidence. He writes that he found that the Devill did take
upon him the shape of Innocent persons and some were accused of whose innocency I was well
assured and many considerable persons of unblamable life and conversation were cried out upon
as witches and wizards. The accusing of esteemed citizens in Salem made the trials and the use
of spectral evidence increasingly controversial and suspicious, and the townspeople were
beginning to turn on the proceedings, leading Gov. Phips to decide to stop the trials. He writes
that judges within the trials were also concerned over the amount of spectral evidence being
used. In the court cases that had already been settled and determined, he stated that the
importance of spectral evidence was downplayed, saying that other more concrete, humane
evidence had been used in those convictions. He writes that he was able to release on bail some
of the fifty people who were in prison waiting for their trial. He also writes that he prevented
publications on the trials because he felt any writings would fuel the unrest in the town.
Phips often downplays his role in the trials when describing them to his superiors. He
says that he had to leave the colony during the summer of 1692 to serve in the French and Indian
War, but records show that he was Boston that summer (Adams, 18). He also asks that his
superiors in London do not turn all fault onto him, as he was the one who ordered that the trials
stop. He presents himself as someone who was in control of the situation and was handling aptly,
though the scope of the trials suggests that they quickly got out of hand, and were stopped when
they became too controversial in town. Even he saw that the trials had become highly
problematic and were not worth pursuing anymore. Despite Gov. Phips attempts to paint himself
in a good light in these letters, the majority of the information he discloses is still correct. He
accurately details the towns growing suspicions about the validity of the trials, brought about by
the increasing number of respected townspeople who were wrongly accused of witchcraft. He
even cites this as the main reason for stopping the trials. His letters depict a town that is starting
to question the validity of what is happening and of officials who are starting to backpedal on
previous positions.
From this document, historians can see how officials in charge of Salem reacted to the
towns reaction to the trials. The letters documents the unrest that took hold of the town as it
became increasingly suspicious of how the trials were being conducted. It shows how the town
came to stop blindly following the trials and instead started to speak out against them. It also
suggests that many people in town, including court officials, were beginning to feel that the trials
were fraudulent and unjust. This is an important development in the evolution of the trials, as
more people did not accept the conduct of the proceedings and did not believe the widespread
threat of witchcraft to the town anymore.
The stopping of the trials in October by Gov. Phips effectively ended the Salem witch
trials, so this document shows the trials in it last days. Though the trials are in its last act, its
repercussions and lessons would be felt for long after. This document shows the changing
reactions and perceptions of the trials. It shows that an increasing number of townspeople did not
feel the same way about witchcraft and the trials as they did just a few months ago. It documents
the full circle of emotions and reactions to the trials, from beginning to end, and how the
townspeople ultimately ended up questioning the entirely validity of the event.










Works Cited
Adams, Gretchen A. The Specter of Salem: Remembering the Witch Trials in Nineteenth-century
America. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2008. Ebrary. Web. Apr. 2014.
<http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.dominican.edu/lib/dominicanuc/docDetail.action?docID
10275451>.