Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

From 1692 to 1693, twenty people were executed after being accused of witchcraft in Salem Village, Massachusetts, many more died in jail, and around 200 people total were accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Records from the event indicate that the Salem Witch Trials started when a group of young girls began acting strange, claiming they had been possessed by the Devil and bewitched by local villagers. The Salem Witch Trials is a much debated event; historians argue over the motivation and causes behind the trials and executions, not over the proceedings. Each historian approached the Salem Witch Trials with their own brand of logic and interpretation building off of and criticizing the interpretations of their predecessors. No one historical theory can conclusively explain the cause of the Salem Witch Trials because there were too many variables and motivations among the villagers. These historians used the best of their abilities to examine the events of the Salem Witch Trials and the mere fact that there are so many interpretations means there are not certainties when it comes to this historical event. However, a combination of their theories could provide a better picture of the Salem Witch story and the many aspects in determining the outcome of the Salem Witch Trials.

The year of 1692 marked a time of mass hysteria and conflict within the small village of Salem, Massachusetts; this time was known as the Salem Witch Trials. The trials plagued the village with chaos, mystery, and accusations. As the hysterics of witchcraft rippled through Salem, more than two-hundred people were accused and tried, one-hundred-fifty townspeople were arrested, approximately twenty people were executed, and five others died in prison. The trials had a domino effect on the townspeople and sent the village into a downward spiral. Since then, the trials have become tantamount to paranoia, as almost three centuries later, they continue to beguile the great minds of many. To this day, though there are many possible theories, and

The Salem Witchcraft Trials were a series of trials in Salem, Massachusetts which accused many local women with witchcraft. The legal proceedings began in the spring of 1692. More than two hundred people were accused of this witchcraft. Of these two hundred people twenty were executed. The setting at the time of the Salem witchcraft trials was a period of unrest. There was increasing tension between the two main parts of Salem, which included Salem Village and Salem Town. “Salem town was a bustling port with a number of shops, large merchant’s houses, and local government buildings. In contrast, Salem Village consisted of a few scattered farms and farmhouses roughly clustered around the

Salem Village was a small settlement under the control of Salem Town in Massachusetts. The village was notorious for its witchcraft hysteria that broke out in 1692, and the execution of twenty accused of being witches and wizards. The incident became an interesting topic for both historians and playwrights. However, the bizarre witch trial and the girls’ mysterious symptoms disguised the social and political movement which subtly influenced the small village for half a century. Only recently have historians started to dig out the complete history of the witch trials, and (have) tried to integrate the isolated incident of witchcraft hysteria with the normal life in Salem Village. Therefore, a new interpretation of the Salem Witch Trials emerges, where the events in Salem Village actually represent an early form of urban and rural division. The newly found evidence suggests that witchcraft hysteria is a direct product of social instability, which was triggered by the rapid commercialization of 17th century New England, the division between urban town and rural village, and the rise of the new merchant class.

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was a tragic time in New England that was caused by the choas of mass hysteria. The inciting incident that started this event was in January 1692, when two young girls were afflicted with convulsions and halleucionations, and witchcraft was apointed the blame. Most of the accused were women a generation above the accusers, who were young women ages 11-20. The accused were also linked to 'socially unaccepted behavior.' The onslaught of accusations made it clear action needed to be taken, so Governor William Phips created a court so that the precedings were as fair and as close to the law as possible. However, the judges had contrasting views, one believing whole-heartedly that witchcraft had torn the town apart, the other doubting the entire crisis. Also, the court accepted spectral evidence,

During the seventeenth century supernatural played a huge role in everyday life for the people in North America. The peasants during this time would use witchery to invoke particular trinkets for farming and agriculture. As time progressed white magic, which was known to be good, turned into dark magic, which was correlated with demons and evil life forces. However, witchcraft became common between the years 1560 and 1670. In Salem people believed that their town’s misfortunes could be credited to the work of the devil. The people of Salem blamed the supernatural for their tragedies, such as crop failures, infant death and societal hostility among the congregation.

Salem Witch Trials, one of the worst times in history, many people were killed by hanging, and pressing. There was only one person to be killed by getting crushed, it was 81 year old Giles Cory, they put a board on top of him, and people interrogated him, trying to make him testify against his wife Martha, whenever he refused to testify against her they put a pile of rocks on top of the board, eventually getting to the point where he couldn’t take the pressure of all the rocks and died, 3 days later his wife was accused and hung.

The Salem Witch Trials were a constant and consistent occurrence in 1691 Massachusetts; hangings became consistent, but the fear of the unknown became the true evil unleashed amongst the dark times that reigned upon Salem. Such atrocities were caused by a development of preposterous dispositions created by desperation and fear. The colony ran into hardship after exposure to illness, misfortune, and power struggles. Due to their religious ideology, they believed that an evil force was responsible for their hardship, and was responsible for wreaking havoc within their civilization.

The search for commies and witches happened at different points in time but had many similarities with very few differences. George Santayana said that, "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it." this quote I feel directly goes along with McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials.

Imagine living in a place where people are at each other's throats, and in most cases physical aggressions occur. Additionally, the sad thing was that the people being assaulted were not some malicious, dangerous criminals, most of them were next door neighbors, or a baker, or even a teacher, they were a member of society who played an important role in the community, yet they were still being accused of the misfortune of others. Instead of identifying and assessing the real issue, and solving it, these people were doing the exact opposite. This place I so generously refer to is located in none other than Salem, Massachusetts, but more specifically, I am referring to the historical event that took place there, the Salem witch trials. Any other normal human being would probably choose a less violent, per say, place to visit. I on the other hand would much rather visit a place that seemed like most, very calm and peaceful to the naked eye, but if you looked

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 The Salem witch trials began in Salem Massachusetts during the spring of 1692. The first “witch” convicted was Bridget Bishop, she was publicly hanged the June. Under British Law people thought to have been consulting with the devil or other spirits where considered felons. There where two different forms of confrontation, the afflicted and the accused. The afflicted where those supposedly possessed whom cried out the names of those possessing them.

The iconic time period of the infamous event, the Salem witch trials, is just one of the worst events in the history of the world. Women, men, and children were being blamed for witchcraft, and unfortunately only men and women went to jail and were sentenced to death. I decided to do this topic because the Salem witch trials sounded like an interesting topic to read and learn about.It was the only topic that seemed interesting to me because I’m into creepy and gory things. This essay will discuss how the Salem witch trials began, the people who were involved, and the the story of the Salem witch trials and how Massachusetts recovered from the horrid event.

The nine year old daughter, Elizabeth Parris, and eleven year old niece, Abigail Williams, would creep into holes, hide under chairs and benches, twist themselves into weird positions, and scream and shout uncontrollably. Around mid-February in 1692, village doctor William Griggs could not find anything wrong with the two girls so he concluded that they had been bewitched by other witches in the Salem Village. Unsure of what to do, Samuel Parris led community prayer services and fasting to get the devil out of the girls. Samuel had two slaves from the Caribbean, Tituba and John Indian. John Indian made a witch cake for the girls made out of rye meal and the two girls own urine to help them reveal who the witches were. The two girls finally accused three ladies most likely due to the pressure. They accused Tituba Indian, Samuel’s slave, Sarah Good, a homeless beggar, and Sarah Osborne, a poor and elderly woman. On March 1st, 1692, the three ladies were questioned by Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne claimed that they were not witches and that they had been falsely accused. Tituba on the other hand, confessed that she was a witch and told stories of black dogs, red cats, yellow birds, and a black man who wanted her to sign his book and

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.