preview

Cause, Effect, And Importance Of The Salem Witch Trials

Better Essays

The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem Village, Massachusetts in the time of the colonies. During and after the Salem Witch Trials took place, there was confusion and anxiety not only in Massachusetts, but in the surrounding colonies. Throughout the trials, many were falsely accused and imprisoned, fined, hanged, and even crushed to death. In the next few pages, I will talk about the cause, effect, and importance of the Salem Witch Trials. The beginning of the trials started in January 1692, when Reverend Samuel Parris’ daughter, Elizabeth Parris, and niece, Abigail Williams, became sick. They did not expect that anything was unusual about their sickness, but when they continued to get worse they asked William Griggs, the village doctor, to give his opinion. The two girls would do strange things like hideout in holes, sit under chairs and benches, twist themselves into uncomfortable positions, and speak in their own language. After seeing their behavior, Doctor Griggs said that they had been bewitched; this was the start of the Salem Witch Trials. This news was terrifying, so Samuel called in other ministers to fast and pray with him. Most of the people in Massachusetts had found out what had happened, and now they were wondering who bewitched them. They asked the girls many times who had cursed them and after some effort, they revealed that that Tituba, their Caribbean house servant, had done it. They also said that Sarah Good, a beggar, and Sarah Osborn, an elderly

Get Access