In Richard Godbeer's historical novel, Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692, the author discusses the famous Salem witch trials and their effect on New England during this period of time. Richard Godbeer explains to his readers the social and legal differences throughout New England, starting in Salem, Massachusetts and ending in Stamford, Connecticut. It teaches the reader not to judge this time period based on what happened in Salem, but rather to open readers' eyes to the thinking and social pressures of the time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Godbeer's eyes, the stories of the Salem witch trials did not represent the thinking, attitudes, and judgment toward people in the entire New England territory. The author uses stories of people, government processes and witchcraft of the so-called “witches”. He begins by telling the story of an innocent little girl, a ploy intended to grab the reader's attention and create interest in the rest of the book. While Godbeer's plan works, it also shows the human side of the citizens and their ability to be wrong. Godbeer's position on the Stamford witch trials during the 16th century is that society presents itself more respectfully than the Salem trials. However, his social sense is distorted because the society reflects the same behaviors as those of Salem. The difference is only one man. William Jones is the person who should be given credit for keeping control of the witch situation in Stamford. It monitors government policies by helping it maintain order and ensure a fair trial for all involved. William Jones calms people down by giving them a trial to accuse women of witchcraft, allows defendants the right to defend them, and enforces the law and policies necessary for a trial. The novel begins with the story of a young girl, named Katherine Branch, who is very ill. Kate was a servant of the Wescots, an upper-class family who took Kate in when her parents died. Kate becomes what many believe is possessed due to witchcraft. Many different people try to help Kate as she deals with her attacks. Religious leaders come to try to cast out demons, midwives come to care for her health, and neighbors take turns watching and helping the Wescot family watch over Kate. During the specific episodes she faces, she reveals to others the specific women who had thrown her into the state. Godbeer states that "Kate named five women with whom she conversed that night: Elizabeth Clawson, Mercy Disborough, Goody Miller, the little girl and her mother." These women included the child, Hannah Harvey; his mother, Mary Harvey; as well as his grandmother, Mary Staples, and several other people mentioned, all had previous witchcraft rumors spread about them throughout Stamford. The stereotypes and judgments expressed about this type of women reflect the city's action towards them. Godbeer uses this social behavior to represent the thinking of this time period. Describes the usual way of dealing with these types of situations. After Kate names her attackers, stories begin to arise about other signs people have seen of their witchcraft. These stories produce no evidence; however, the stories begin to spread, causing hostility towards the accused women. These accusations ultimately lead to Daniel Wescot's movement into the court justice system. Hannah and Mary Harvey, Mary Staples, Elizabeth Clawson, Mercy Disborough and Goody Miller are all acquitted of theiraccusations. Godbeer explains: "These acquittals undoubtedly pleased the defendants and their supporters, but others were horrified." The victory of the defendants proved to show the social injustice to the people of Stamford. This causes more problems between those who protect and those who hurt. This distinction is thought to be a spiritual conflict between the beliefs of Christians. Godbeer once again shows the culture of the Christian community, which is why witchcraft is a major issue during this time. As Godbeer later explains, "the survival of Elizabeth Seager and Katherine Harrison dealt a severe blow to public confidence in the legal system and its willingness to protect colonists from witches." This lack of “trust” in the government has made maintaining peace a difficult task. However, one man is capable of maintaining order. Godbeer presents his data on the trial through the perspective of Judge William Jones. Jones runs the government court in a fair and legal system. He first researches other witch trials and composes the structure for his future witch trial. Godbeer is impressed by Jones' philosophy of "...two sets of requirements: one to arrest and examine someone suspected of witchcraft, the other to convict and hang an accused witch." After these rules are in place, Jones will begin creating criteria for guilty and not guilty verdicts. It creates grounds why the accused was to qualify to be detained or questioned in court. These standards force prosecutors to present some sort of evidence or reasonable case. This is another example of the thought process William Jones had to prevent a disaster like the one in Salem. Since this case investigates witchcraft, there is no concrete evidence to support any claims of someone practicing witchcraft. Placed this dilemma before the magistrates, the jury is forced to make their decision based on the testimony of what happened. It is difficult to find the truth in these accounts, especially those involving witchcraft. After Mercy Disborough is found guilty of witchcraft and Goody Clawson is found not guilty, Stamford is amazed. With the Salem hearings, the belief that anyone accused of witchcraft would be found guilty is on the minds of the people of Stamford. The lack of evidence bothered Jones and even led him to question his jury on their decisions. While Jones doesn't believe the verdict is correct, he believes it is fair. Jones showed no favoritism to either side. William Jones cares about the accused witches as human beings and tries to reject the stereotypes and misunderstandings of the people of Stamford. At the same time, he wants to protect the people of Stamford from any threat. Due process runs into a problem when Diborough awaits his death penalty. A petition is signed to vacate the verdict due to the jury being replaced. Mercy Diborough is eventually released due to a technicality in the jury system. The way Godbeer describes the long process of the trial shows his dedication to giving the reader everything to form an informed opinion about the trial. To Godbeer's fault, he doesn't compare different judging philosophies. However, it shows Jones' fairness to all parties, which contrasts with the Salem courts. Godbeer attempts to show the reader that society is the difference between the events in Salem and those in Stamford. Godbeer overlooks the real difference between situations, a man. William Jones creates a sense of fairness and civil action to solve the problem placed in front of him. Keep in mind: this is?