Life, 1900-11-01 · page 1 of 20
Life — November 1, 1900 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (November 1, 1900) This page satirizes early American witch trial hysteria through "The First American Court of Justice." The caption—"If she drowns, she is innocent; if she swims, she is burned as a witch"—highlights the impossible logic of colonial witch trial tests: accused women faced certain death either way (drowning or burning). The photograph below shows what appears to be a water dunking or swimming test, the historical method used to "prove" witchcraft. By presenting this as America's "first court of justice," the satirist critiques how early American legal proceedings were fundamentally irrational and cruel, particularly toward women. This commentary likely responded to contemporary concerns about due process and justice system fairness in the year 1900.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXXVI. NEW YORK, NOV. 1, 1900. NUMBER 938, Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Ciass Mail Matter, Copyright, 1900, by Livg PUBLISHING ComPaxY. THE FIRST AMERICAN COURT OF JUSTICE. “If she drowns, she is innocent ; if she swims, she is burned as a witch.”