Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did Nathaniel Hawthorne connect his family’s decline with the actions of his ancestors?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

A son of Salem — Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne's ancestors in Salem, Massachusetts, were Puritans named Hathorne. He added a w to his name when he began writing.

Nathaniel Hawthorne speculated that the decline of his family’s prosperity and prominence during the 18th century was a form of divine retribution for the actions of his ancestors.12

His earliest American ancestor, William Hathorne, was a magistrate known for his rigid defense of Puritan orthodoxy, which included sentencing a Quaker woman to public whipping. Furthermore, William’s son, John Hathorne, served as one of the judges during the Salem witchcraft trials in 1692.12

Hawthorne was deeply preoccupied with the concept of hereditary sin, a theme he explored extensively in his literature. This preoccupation is most notably reflected in his novel The House of the Seven Gables, which is based on the legend of a curse placed upon his own family by a woman condemned to death during the Salem witch trials. Through his writing, Hawthorne scrutinized the moral weight of his ancestors' actions and the enduring impact of guilt across generations.34