Samuel Sewall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel Sewall
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1729, by John Smibert
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| Born | March 28, 1652 |
| Died | January 1, 1730 (aged 77) |
| Education | Harvard College |
| Occupation | Judge |
| Known for | Salem witch trials |
| Spouse(s) | Hannah Hull Abigail (Melyen) Woodmansey Tilley Mary (Shrimpton) Gibbs |
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Samuel Sewall (born March 28, 1652 – died January 1, 1730) was an important judge, businessman, and printer. He lived in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, which was an English colony in North America. Sewall is best known for two things. First, he was involved in the famous Salem witch trials, but he later said he was sorry for his part. Second, he wrote an important essay called The Selling of Joseph in 1700. This essay spoke out against slavery. He also served for many years as the chief judge of the highest court in the colony.
Contents
Samuel Sewall's Early Life and Education
Samuel Sewall was born in Bishopstoke, England, on March 28, 1652. His parents were Henry and Jane Sewall. His father had lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony before. He returned to England in the 1640s.
In 1661, when Samuel was nine, his family moved back across the Atlantic to America. They settled in Newbury, Massachusetts. Young Samuel grew up near the Parker River and Plum Island Sound.
School Days and Harvard
Like other boys in the area, Samuel went to school at the home of James Noyes. A cousin, Reverend Thomas Parker, was his main teacher. From Parker, Samuel learned to love poems. He wrote them in both English and Latin.
In 1667, Samuel Sewall started at Harvard College. He made lasting friendships there. He earned his first degree in 1671 and his master's degree in 1674. For nine months in 1674, he worked as Harvard's librarian. That same year, he began writing a journal. He kept this journal for most of his life. It is now a very important historical record of that time.
Samuel Sewall's Career and Family Life
Samuel Sewall became involved in the colony's government when he became a freeman. This meant he had the right to vote. In 1681, he was named the official printer for the colony. One of the first books he printed was The Pilgrim's Progress.
After a man named John Hull died in 1683, Sewall was chosen to take his place. He joined the colony's council of assistants. This group acted as both a part of the government and a court. He also joined Harvard's Board of Overseers.
Marriage and Family
Samuel Sewall met Hannah Hull, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, during his master's degree exam. They were married in February 1676. Hannah's father, who was very rich, gave them a large sum of money as a wedding gift. Samuel and Hannah had fourteen children together. Sadly, only a few of them lived to be adults. Hannah passed away in 1717.
Sewall moved into his wife's family mansion in Boston. He soon became involved in their business and political activities.
Samuel Sewall and the Salem Witch Trials
In 1692, Samuel Sewall became an assistant judge. He was one of nine judges chosen for a special court in Salem. This court was set up to try people accused of witchcraft.
His diary tells about many famous events from the trials. For example, he wrote about the death of Giles Corey. His diary also shows that people were starting to worry if many of the accused were truly guilty.
Sewall's Regret and Apology
Samuel Sewall was one of the few judges who later felt very sorry for his role in the trials. He even asked for a public day of prayer and fasting to make up for what happened. After the trials ended, Sewall's family faced many sad events. He believed these were punishments from God.
He realized he had made decisions based on weak evidence. On January 14, 1697, he stood up in his church. His minister then read out Sewall's public confession of guilt. This was a very brave thing to do at that time.
Later Judicial Career and Death
In 1693, Sewall was appointed as a judge to the Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature. This was the highest court in the colony. In 1717, he became its chief justice.
Samuel Sewall died in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 1, 1730. He was 77 years old. He was buried in the family tomb at Boston's Granary Burying Ground.
Sewall married two more times after Hannah died. His second wife, Abigail, died seven months after they married in 1719. In 1722, he married Mary, who outlived him.
Samuel Sewall's Views and Writings
Besides his role in the Salem witch trials, Sewall had some very advanced views for his time.
Speaking Out Against Slavery
In 1700, he wrote and published an essay called The Selling of Joseph. This paper argued that slavery was wrong and a sin, based on the Bible. It was the first anti-slavery document ever published in New England and North America.
Sewall wrote that "Liberty is in real value next unto Life." He believed that no one should lose their freedom unless there was a very good reason. He argued that enslaving people of Black African descent went against God's plan. He said all people were "of One Blood" and had the same right to freedom. He believed freedom should be valued more than money.
His essay's title referred to the Bible story of Joseph, who was unfairly sold into slavery by his brothers. Sewall compared this to the unjust enslavement of Black Americans. While his essay still suggested that Black Africans and white New Englanders might not be able to live together peacefully, his argument against slavery was a very brave public stand.
Sewall wrote Selling because a judge in Boston refused to free a Black servant. After Selling was published, the other judge wrote a response. He argued that social order needed slavery. Even though the servant was eventually freed, the other judge's ideas were more popular. Slavery continued in Massachusetts. Sewall's essay was not widely read at the time.
Other Views and His Journal
Sewall also wrote an essay called Talitha Cumi in 1725. This essay talked about the "right of women." He also strongly disliked the fashion of wearing wigs in New England.
Sewall's Journal, which he kept from 1673 to 1729, describes his life. It shows how the deeply religious community of Massachusetts slowly became more modern and open-minded.
Samuel Sewall's Cultural Influence
- The Crucible (1996 film): Judge Samuel Sewall was played by actor George Gaynes. In the movie, he is one of the first judges to start having doubts about the witch trials. By the end, he asks the head judge to stop the trials because people are tired of the deaths.
Images for kids
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Poem by Nehemiah Hobart in Latin, printed by Samuel Sewall, Boston, 1712
See also
In Spanish: Samuel Sewall para niños
