Green, Joseph. Diary
Collection History
Please note that as of January 2022, the Joseph Green diary, 1700-1715, and all future digital collections are now hosted on the library's new digital archive.
Rev. Joseph Green graduated from Harvard in 1695 and was ordained in 1698. He became minister of the Salem Village church, replacing the controversial Rev. Samuel Parris who had left in 1696. Rev. Green was credited with bringing unity back to a divided Salem after the witchcraft hysteria and Rev. Parris's divisive leadership. He publicly read the confession of Anne Putnam when she was received to communion in 1706, apologizing for her role in the 1692 witchcraft accusations. Rev. Green also presided over the congregation’s votes to rescind charges of witchcraft against those accused.
Rev. Green kept a personal diary between March 4, 1700 and July 18, 1715. In it he records weather events and everyday activities such as agricultural tasks, ministerial duties, theological study, meetings with family and friends, and visitations to nearby towns in Massachusetts.
The original manuscripts in this collection are owned by our project partners, the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum.
Digital Materials
Rev. Green's diary of 1700-1715 consists of 192 loosely-bound pages, in which he recorded each day of the month in the left sidebar, followed by a short descriptive paragraph detailing noteworthy events. These generally consist of routine agricultural tasks, ecclesiastical events, travel, and weather observations.
Related Materials
Salem, Mass. First Church, 1629-1843
Special Thanks
These digital resources have been made possible in part by the Council on Library and Information Resources, through a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this resource do not necessarily represent those of the Council on Library and Information Resources.
