New England Witch Trials Book Report

Kappanadze, Margaret. "Baker, Emerson W.: A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience." Library Journal 15 Sept. 2014: 92. General OneFile. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.

Puritan Societal gender biases against women prompted what was called the "Witch Trials". Some trials took place in Europe around the same time, but my focus is about the trials that took place in Early America in New England. History notes these areas to be mostly in Hartford, Fairfield, and Salem. The latter being the most infamous and the most published. Although the question has been asked many times, there has not been a definite answer on Why did the trials take place? What happened to cause this phenomenon? There were several factors involving bias such as socioeconomic, historical, psychological and religious factors, but most notable were the gender biases that was evident. With all of these underlying influences, it was apparent that the one common link was women and the varying roles that they played during this time. Documented research states that approximately 78% of those accused were women (Karlsen, 1987) and similarly those who were executed were a high percentage of women.

Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 by Richard Godbeer is an examination of

New England in the seventeenth century was a difficult place to live. The raging winds of winter, the ravaging Indian tribes and the many diseases that killed both livestock and family members often had inhabitants believing that they were being punished by God for their sins, or that their afflictions were caused by something much more sinister. Anyone who threatened traditional gender and societal roles was seen as a potential threat to both themselves and the rest of the community. The outbreaks of witch accusations that occurred throughout New England during this time reflected how unsettled the settlers really felt about their lives. This is reflected in both the Salem, Massachusetts witch trials and the Stamford, Connecticut witch trials even if these trials had different results.

The Salem Witch Trials are an iconic piece of America’s past and a symbol of the strict religious principals back in the late seventeenth century. The town of Salem, Massachusetts was a community that faced several hardships, and Cotton Mather, the local minister, felt that Satan’s influence in particular groups within the community caused these problems. This town was extremely religious, and they rebuked anything that they felt was unholy. They tried those who they believed as witches in hopes of creating a new prosperity for the village. Due to the bad luck and strict religious principles the people of Salem had, the town began to place witches on trial for their evildoings.

In the 1600’s, Puritans from England moved over to the Americas hoping to spread the Bible’s teachings, which included the persecution of witches. Many people were accused of being witches and were hung. The effect of this was much hysteria among the colonists. What is the reason there was so much hysteria during the Salem witch Trial of 1692? The Salem Witch Trial hysteria of 1692 was caused by the fear of being accused or hung for the crime of practicing witchcraft, the belief that people could be witches, a crime worthy of death, and the paranoia of possibly being possessed by the devil.

The lawful framework in early New England changed drastically as an effect of the witch trials. As their religious convictions ran inconsistent with a reason-overwhelmed lawful framework, a contention happened which prompted social shearing in a group accepted to be tormented with suspected profound foes. There are sure conditions that started such turmoil, for example, their tenacious confidence and social qualms that could now be vocalized. This vocal impetus uprooted the common holiness of social request. This is one reason other such examples fizzled from getting to be boundless. Notwithstanding when such examples happened, a generally sensible arrangement of choosing blame or purity was created to decide the destiny of the suspected witches' lives.

The Salem witch trials were unjustified in that they were bred out of paranoia and delusion; with religion was the mother of this breed. Even since the early periods of our nation, religious hysteria has haunted the land. The town of Salem, Massachusetts was not excluded from that.  The Salem witch trials are an evident case of religious delirium being harmful to innocent people, but no the only one. Dangerous people are still hysteric from religion in a modern world.

The terror that raged through Salem Village in 1692 caused the citizens to accuse and execute each other because of suspected witchcraft. The afflicted girls’ mysterious behavior activated a hysterical fear of witches, causing the Salem witch trials.

Women were not seen as humans in history. The Salem Witch Trials occurred during the years of 1692 and 1693. The Salem Witch Trials had an impact on women because they were said to be more likely to sin than men.

The Salem Witch Trials was quite something that was not just or done properly. Throughout the video I have examined some things not right and sometimes humorous because of how they judge and condemn a living soul. The judges acted like God and judge right there at that moment to decide that person's fate to live or to die. How they judge according to the video was they have the so called possessed young girls and then the girls seem to decide the person fate.

In 1692 the Salem Witch Trials happened in Salem, Massachusettes. The trials were to prosecute people who were accused of witch craft. Some of the people were hung and many others were arrested. The trials went from 1692 and 1693.

In 1692 in Salem Massachusetts about 24 people were accused of being witches then killed. Salem was a Puritan community, that frowned upon any show of emotion. The witch trials probably occurred because the lack freedom and attention the girls got.

The trials began in the spring of 1692. It was a stormy, dark night in the middle of the ominous woods. The moon and stars were hidden behind a veil of clouds. The woods near the village were dark and dangerous; nobody dared to go into the sinister thicket. In the past couple of weeks, there had been several suspicious occurrences in the woods near the village.

After an alleged sight of a possible witch gathering in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, a witch hunt soon began, keeping all citizens on edge. Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty, falls ill, after being caught dancing in the woods with his maid Tituba and Abigail Williams the night before; the strange case that lies with the ill Betty and Ruth Putnam doesn’t help ease the other citizen’s nerves. It is then revealed that the witch gathering was the doing of Abigail Williams. When questioned about the events of that what really happened that night, Abigail is quick to blame Tituba, Parris’s slave from Barbados. Abigail even goes to cite her past actions, such as laughing during prayers, as Tituba’s doing. In order to plead away with her own innocence,