What is Truth?

For my blog post this week, I wrote a parody of the opening song in Hamilton, “Alexander Hamilton,” based on the early life of William Miller, the originator of the Millerite movement. I wanted to know: what in the world happened in Miller’s childhood that traumatized him so much that he felt compelled to create an “end of the world” movement as a part of his ministry? And why did people believe him? In the wise words of Busta Rhymes , “Hip-hop reflects the truth, and the problem is that hip-hop exposes a lot of the negative truth that society tries to conceal.” So what’s the truth about William Miller? Let’s use rap to find out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lights up on CAPTAIN MILLER, SR. and WILLIAM MILLER, mid-conversation. The rhythm picks up, echoing the cadence of Hamilton . COMPANY stands at different levels on construction scaffolding, resembling a partially built church chapel. Spotlights hit ea...

I can remember being 12 years old. Middle school was a rough time in my life. I was constantly comparing myself to others and seeking attention from those I found admirable. I cannot imagine being the eldest of ten siblings, likely receiving zero attention at home from my parents, with no TV, iPad, or even school to keep me busy. I can see why Ann Putnam, Jr., one of the “afflicted girls” in the Salem Witch Trials, engaged so fervently in her courtroom accusations—the simple fact of being 12 years old in a world that did not see her. Last week, I explored the hysteria about alleged “witchcraft” in Salem Village, Massachusetts. This week, I decided to research one of the accusers, Ann Jr., a young woman involved in the Salem Witch Trials. Her story confirmed for me a sentiment I expressed in my previous blog article : “...even widely disseminated, commonly held beliefs can be untrue.” Ann Putnam, Jr. was born in 1679 to a wealthy family that had lived in Salem for four generations. Gi...

        One of the first few topics in my quest for truth is the hysteria surrounding alleged witchcraft in Salem Village, Massachusetts, in 1692. After reviewing the YouTube video and History.com article provided for class, I began to wonder: how could this falsified narrative, created by teenage girls, become the fuel for a series of trials that led to the wrongful death of nineteen people in Salem?           Our class discussions first challenged my commonly held beliefs about witchcraft when I realized that the insights shared by one of my peers were indeed accurate. I was surprised to learn, after reading this Vice article , that a common feature of the witch’s uniform, perpetuated in the media—a pointy, black hat—originated from beer sellers in the marketplaces of the time. The “alewives” were women wh o brewed beer at home as part of their domestic duties.           I found this interesting ...