Cotton Mather

Even though the reading on Cotton Mather was a lot shorter than previous readings, I must say, I really enjoyed reading the writing of someone who was witness to the Salem witchcraft trials; a historic event in one of the darker and troublesome times in American history. Starting off, I do not believe that Mather was the unbiased historian he makes himself out to be. While the introduction explains that he never condone  any of the proceedings in the Salem witch trials, he never opposed them either. Add the fact that he shows some obvious enmity to the woman, Martha Carrier, whom he calls a "rampant hag", I think its safe to assume he is not completely unbiased.
What I found really curious was how accurate all of the testimonies in terms of Hollywood and novels have portrayed the Salem witch trials. There was villagers feigning pain in court until Carrier was bound, villagers spouting tales of sour-inflicting curses, spectral visions of Carriers, and a lot of cows of dying of unnatural deaths. A LOT of cows. A part I did not quite get. Perhaps the villagers ran out of ideas.
One thing I did not understand was how Martha Carrier's own children could testify against her, claiming that she was a witch and that she had made them into witches too. The only thing I can figure is that they must have been scared for their own lives just like everyone else. In that regard, it is not surprising that Mather or anyone else would be hesitant to speak out against the atrocities taking place.