Question

Harry Bedlow went bankrupt due to one of these events despite Alexander Hamilton’s purported efforts to forge a letter by seamstress Lanah Sawyer. After Philadelphia’s yellow fever epidemic, Benjamin Rush and William Cobbett’s involvement in one of these events galvanized opposition to bloodletting as a practice. The first example of these events in Colonial America stemmed from the actions of a “stranger” named John (*) Billington. Governor William Cosby issued a formal “information” procedure to avoid one of these events (10[1])that would have benefited Lewis Morris and his satirical New York Weekly Journal. Success in that one of these events cemented John Peter Zenger as a symbol of freedom (10[1])of the press. For 10 points, Increase Mather opposed using “spectral evidence” (-5[1])to prove (10[1])devilish possession over women during what sort of events in Salem? ■END■ (10[3])

ANSWER: jury trials [accept libel trials, civil trials, murder trials, or seduction trials; accept court cases or court rulings; accept Salem Witch trials; prompt on execution by asking “following what type of event?”; prompt on sexual assault, rape by asking “what type of event followed that?”]
<RR, American History>
= Average correct buzz position

Back to tossups

Buzzes

PlayerTeamOpponentBuzz PositionValue
Kai McFarlandBUTufts B7810
Michael KearneyHarvardBowdoin B10710
Issac MeredithTufts ABoston College B119-5
Michael ZhengAmherstYale12110
Gabriel MargoliesBoston College BTufts A13310
Derek FinoClark HouseBowdoin C13310
Evan LuccaBowdoin AClark Wilson13310