1690s a number of somewhat discontiguous communities existed on the land, which petitioned the state for incorporation. Objections were made to the earliest petition (of 1692) by Danforth, since it did not include all of his lands, and a number of subsequent petitions were objected to by neighboring communities. It was not until 1700, after Danforth had died, that the town of Framingham was granted a charter. The town's seal contains the words "Danforth's Farms" in commemoration of this heritage. Danforth, Maine is named in his honor. The Danforth Museum of Art, founded in 1975, is located in Framingham. Fictional character in The Crucible In Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible, Danforth is depicted as the leading judicial figure overseeing the Salem trials. William Stoughton is not a character in the play, and Miller portrays Danforth as an honest but domineering and selfish judge, under whose authority many are imprisoned and sentenced to hang. When John Proctor, an accused, defies his authority at the end of the play by refusing to lie and sign a public confession saying that he is a wizard and accusing others, he is mercilessly sentenced to hang. In an introduction to the play, Miller wrote that he had combined several persons and made other changes to the historical characters for dramatic purposes. Miller also wrote the screenplay for the 1996 film version of the play, in which the name Danforth was retained (portrayed by actor Paul Scofield) as the principal judicial antagonist. In the 1957 film adaptation of the play, whose screenplay was written by Jean-Paul Sartre, Danforth (portrayed by Raymond Rouleau, who also directed the picture) is portrayed the same way. Citations Bibliography External links Original Harvard Charter of 1650 listing Thomas Danforth as Treasurer Framingham, Massachusetts History website Framlingham UK website with a large section on the Danforths and Framingham Massachusetts 1623 births 1699 deaths American Puritans American slave owners Critics of witch hunting Harvard University staff Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature Kingdom of England emigrants to Massachusetts Bay Colony Lieutenant Governors of colonial Massachusetts People from Framlingham People of the Salem witch trials