Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a series of prosecutions of people who were accused of acts of witchcraft or of being a witch in Salem, Massachusetts through the time period of February 1692 through May 1693. This was a dark time in history as more than 200 prosecutions took place and at least 20 people were killed during this time of fear and hysteria. The accusations began as three girls Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne were accused of witchcraft from other young girls in the community. During this time period, fear of the Devil was common as people in Salem were very devoted to their religion and religious practices. As one of the accused girls, Tituba, confessed to working for the Devil and admitting to being a witch, this caused panic and hysteria as a massive witch hunt took place to find more of these witches. This confession was the main reason behind months and months of fear and mass panic as it triggered more accusations.

Salem Witch Trials: The witch trials were a series of hearings, and prosecutions of people being accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692, through May 1693. The primary source of the trials is unknown, but it was most recognized when a group of young girls, from the village Salem, started to speak of the devil invading their home and try to take over through his “minions” that he persuaded to write in his book. This group of girls accused over 200 people for working for the devil, or being witches, and

Each of these three women was examined by local Salem officials before they were sent off to await trial in a Boston jail. The girls, who these witches had supposedly inflicted sickness upon, were also present during these trials to show the court how much pain the three women had caused. During the trial Sarah Good kept insisting that she was not guilty but rather that she had been wrongly accused. When asked why she hurts the innocent children she responded, "I do not hurt them. I scorn it." Then, she attempted to shift all blame onto Sarah Osborne who in turn responded with disbelief. She said that she "was more like to be bewitched than she was a witch."

The Salem Witch Trials occurred in seventeenth century Massachusetts. The small Puritan town of Salem was first burdened with the accusations of witchcraft in January of 1692, according to the article “Salem Witch Trials” on “History.com.” The article also states that two local girls, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, began having violent fits accompanied with bloodcurdling screams (“Salem Witch Trials). When the girls never healed, the town doctor, William Griggs, was called to the girls’ homes says the article “The 1962 Salem Witch Trials.”

The spring of 1692 was the beginning of what would later be known as the Salem Witch Trials. In January of 1692 Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams the daughter and niece of Samuel Parris the Minister of the Salem Village, began having violent fits of anger and outbursts of screaming as well as crawling under furniture and muttering strange words. A local doctor diagnosed the girls, along with a few other young girls in the community with “bewitchment”.

The Salem witch trials began in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. Over 200 people were accused of practicing the devil’s magic, twenty of which were executed. Suspicions of witchcraft started when a group of young girls began acting bizarre, as they became ill, suffering from epileptic fits, their bodies contorted involuntary to odd positions as well as causing them to utter unusual sounds. Only when they went to a doctor did the man declare it was a matter of the supernatural. This caused an epidemic among the area in which numerous people were accused of the craft. Previously, in 1689 the English rulers William and Mary began a war with France among the American colonies. Spreading through the regions of upstate New York, Nova

The Salem Witch Trials started in 1692 when a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the Devil, Which was essentially being a witch. The punishment of being a witch was death. After the girls trials were done they were all hung at the Salem gallows. After That 150 women and children were accused. But in the end only 18 people were killed by the state of Massachusetts.

The Salem Witch Trials were a set of hearings and prosecutions in Salem, Massachusetts that were nothing short of horrific and involved many people accused of witchcraft. The trials that took place were seen as moral in the eyes of the leaders in Salem but as we know today, they were most certainly immoral. Innocent women were hanged, drowned, and even an innocent man was pressed to death. The unforgettable events of the Salem Witch Trials began in 1692, when several young girls accused numerous women of the town of witchcraft. There were fears about religious extremists as many critics perceived witchcraft as being counterproductive.

The Salem Witch Trials In 1692, a fateful event took place in Salem Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials was a time in history where more than two hundred people were incriminated for practicing witchcraft. Several factors motivated the witch trials of 1692. This eventful time started with twelve year old Abigail Williams pretending to be possessed. Rumours were spread throughout Salem, and the blame for practicing witchcraft was focused on certain people.

The affected girls were accusing the most likely culprits. Powerful and wealthy families were blaming the less fortunate. According to Jenrette, one well-known family feud at the time was of the Putnam family and the Nurse family. Ann Putnam, age twelve, accused Rebecca Nurse of being a witch. The Nurse family was working towards owning about three hundred acres of land while being targeted by the Putnam family (Jenrette n. pag.). The family’s progress stopped abruptly after Rebecca Nurse was accused of being a witch. Jones stated by the time the trials were over, more than one hundred and fifty people had been accused of being witches. Looking back in history, most of the colonists were accused because they were older, poor, and in family

The infamous Salem witch trials were a series of unfair hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts. These series of events of America's most notorious and well-known cases of mass hysteria, where more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people. Fourteen of them were women, and all but one died by hanging. Five others, including two infant children, died in prison.

The Salem Witch Trials began in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts (Salem Witch Trials 1). Three girls were accused of witchcraft, and then proceed to blame the whole town of witchcraft (Salem Witch Trials 1). Bridget Bishop was the first woman hanged in June (Salem Witch Trials 1). Many people denied witchcraft in Salem (Salem Witch Trials 1). 40,000 to 60,000 people were executed for being accused of witchcraft (Salem Witch Trials 2). General Court declared a day of fasting for the tragedy (Salem Witch Trials 1). “Thought the respected Minister Cotton Mather had warned of the dubious value of spectral evidence, his concerns went largely unheeded during the Salem Witch Trials,” (Salem Witch Trials 1).

Life in the New England colonies during the 1600’s proved to be harsh with the constant fear of Native American attacks, scarce food, freezing winters, and conflicting opinions about religion. From this perpetual state of distress, the Salem Witch Trials were birthed, causing a wave of hysteria in Salem Village and Salem Town. Though the exact day and month is uncertain, historians can claim that the trials emerged in early 1692 and came to a close in 1693. The Salem Witch Trials started in 1692 with more than one hundred fifty people being accused of practicing witchcraft, and the trials finally ended with the courts declaring there was no evidence in the cases being tried, and the Governor stopped the trials because his wife was accused.

It all started when Betty Parris, the daughter of Puritan minister, Samuel Parris, and his niece, Abigail Williams, experimented with magic and witchcraft (Salem Witch, n.p.). They began twitching, screaming, and not speaking, so a doctor diagnosed the girls with being under the spell of a witch (Currie, 7-8). Samuel Parris pressured the girls to identify the perpetrator. They named Tituba, their slave, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn. The latter two, who were outcasts and did not attend church regularly, declared their innocence, but Good accused Osborn. Tituba originally pleaded innocent, but eventually told the officials of her dealings with the devil (Britannica School Salem witch, n.p.).

In the year of 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts the historic Salem Witch Trials occurred. The event resulted in nineteen innocent men and women being hanged, along with one man being pressed to death. Not to forget the other deaths that followed as many others later died in jail. The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil, not only did the girls make these claims but also accused several local women of being involved with witchcraft. The situation created an overwhelming wave of hysteria in which spread throughout colonial Massachusetts. To this day many people are undecided upon what actually caused this mass hysteria, as