Libni Coronado

Deodat Lawson Describes Events at

Salem (1692) by Deodat Lawson
HIST 1301
B-Days, 2:30-4:00.
2015.12.04

Background about the Author of the

article
Deodat Lawson was an English puritan
minister. From 1684-1688, he served
as the pastor in Salem Village. In 1692
he lived in Boston. Lawson set out for
Salem Village in March 1692 because
of rumors of witches. He had a wife
and daughter, but they died, and it
was rumored to be the work of
witches.

Details About the Main

Article
The Article was written in 1692.
The purpose of the article was to
describe the events that happened at
his stay at Salem Village, and to find
out the truth about what has been
happening there.
The audience was anyone who was
interested in the happenings at Salem
Village.

Summary of the
Article/Main Points
1. There were several incidents that made people
convinced that it was the work of witches.
2. The women who were accused of being a witch were
sent to a trial where it would be decided if they would
have to go to a sort of prison that was in Salem Village.
3. Lawson and his contemporaries believed that the devil
and his witches, which would be Rebecca Nurse, tried to
persuade people to sign their names in the devil's book,
which would commit them to his service.

Included or Excluded
The author could have included how the
witches would have related to the death of
his wife and daughter.
The reason being is because in the
beginning, he mentioned that witches
were in relation to his familys death.
There is nothing that the author should
have excluded.
The reason being is because every detail
that is in his article is essential in making
his point in his observation.

Bibliography
Ex. Lawson, Deodat. "Deodat Lawson Describes Events at Salem (1
692)." In American Perspectives: Readings in American History, v. 1,
pg.18, 5th ed. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2011..