Prompt: Salem, Massachusetts is famous for one thing, the 1692 witch trials that

Prompt:
Salem, Massachusetts is famous for one thing, the 1692 witch trials that took the lives of innocent persons accused of the incredible. But were the accusations incredible to New England Puritans of the late seventeenth century? When looking at the documents here–case files of just one of the accused and the diaries of a judge–what assumptions can we make about the anxieties of such small town people? Where are the limits of what the documents can tell us?
How to write this paper:
Write to make each paper clear and accessible to a generally educated reader. Assume your audience reads at the college level with a large vocabulary and an awareness of basic political, social, and economic concepts and major historical figures, but do not assume your audience has knowledge of specific events, more esoteric topics, or somewhat obscure or minor historical figures. These may need explaining.
Remember: each paper is first and foremost a critical analysis of a whole set of primary source documents. Along the way, you will also be answering the prompt question. Because your paper should be clear to any educated reader, it should immediately establish all the essential information for your reader to follow along with ease.
This means your INTRODUCTION is especially important. In most cases, each opening paragraph should include three things:
historical context–the stage setting (the time, relevant events, or topic)
full identification of all documents under review–the primary topic (authors, name of and/or type of document, writing or publication date)
critical thesis statement–your very own argument regarding the documents (what they reveal about the past and their authors)
The body of your paper should then be dedicated to supporting your critical thesis through a combination of reporting detail from and judging the assigned historical documents. Your focus should be on the documents themselves. Context is important, but give only enough supporting information as necessary for the reader to understand your analysis of the documents. Information from class lecture/discussion and from the textbook is enough for context. DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES. Direct quotations should only come from the assigned primary sources, and it should always be clear which author is being quoted in the text of the paper. A “works cited” page is unnecessary if you adhere to these requirements.
Format of this paper:
Follow these specific formatting instructions. Minor deviations from these instructions may result in a reduction in points earned. Major deviations may result in my refusal to accept a paper all together.
Length requirement: three full pages (minimum) to four full pages (maximum)
Spacing: double space (Because there is a space between each line, do not add extra spaces between paragraphs.)
Indenting: a quarter to half inch (for each paragraph)
Font: Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, or something very close to these three fonts
Font Size: 12-point font
Heading: top of first page (Include only your name and an optional title. Do not include any other information.)
Page Numbers: optional (in header or footer)
Do NOT use any outside source. Check for plagiarism on “Turnitin”. There is an example of how the essay should look like.