The Bell Witch Research Paper

I think The Girls,The Minister,Tituba, and The Townspeople are most to blame for The Salem Witch Crisis of 1692.

On the 30th of June, 1986 the Snedeker family moved into their new home in Southington, Connecticut. Soon after they moved in, strange and frightening things started happening. Even though a 2009 movie based on the events that took place was produced, most of the occurrences in the movie were purely fictional and changed by hollywood. Because of this, many people wonder what really happened on 208 Meriden Avenue, how much of it was real? Throughout the following paragraphs we will discuss and analyze what really happened during the haunting in connecticut.

The purpose of this book was to examine the history and social life of Salem Village to try to figure out what was the cause of the events that occurred there. I believe that the authors achieved their objective at least they did to me. Boyer and Nissenbaum's explanation for the outbreak of witchcraft accusations in Salem hinges on an understanding of the economic,

Martha Carrier, a supposed witch, was taken to trial on August 2, 1692. At the trial, there were five pieces of “evidence” that proved she was a witch. Martha Carrier had nine people testify against her in court. Furthermore, the nine people had no legitimate evidence, but rather spoke against her with irrational fears, logic defying acts, and unjust accusations. After reading the trial against Martha Carrier, it is easy to see the court was severely biased in their accusations. Unfortunately, Martha Carrier was found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to death on August 19, 1692.

Between June 10 and September 22, 1692, 20 people were put to death in Salem Massachusetts for witchcraft. Neighbors turned on neighbors, women turned on women. Nobody was necessarily safe from being accused of witchcraft. During the time of the 1600s many English immigrants arrived in New England, a number of them being Puritans. They came to New England to practice Christianity in ways they felt were pure. To help guide the Puritans through life, they read the bible. Whatever the bible said, they believed and one subject was about the Devil. One of the tricks the Devil used, was to enter a normal person’s body and turn that person into a witch. A witch could cause terrible damage. Of course, the Puritans believed it, so every bad act they saw, they often accused the person of being a witch. What

The Salem Witch Trials was a series of witchcraft cases brought before local courts in the colony of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692

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.

Most people believe that during the Salem witch trials the supposed witches were burnt at the stake which was not true; however, during the witch hunt in Europe, most of them were burnt. The Salem witch trials were a series of executions that took place in Salem Town and Salem Village, Massachusetts. These trials happened because the people were believed to have practiced witchcraft. Throughout these trials, twenty people were executed, and many more put in jail. Throughout history and in modern times, witches were seen as evil mythical people who were possessed by the devil; this was the case in 1692 in Massachusetts.

The witch loved attention and she kept track of everything going on around her. Richard Williams Bell said that before the hauntings in the Bell family home had began that a neighborhood youth, Corban Hall, had found a burial site. Corban had brought back a human jawbone to the house and had thrown it against the wall. When John Bell found out, he insisted the youth return the bone to where it was found.

The status of women during the colonial times were below the men at that time. Women were basically property of men and did what the men said to, kind of like slaves. Women experienced freedom, but it wasn’t good enough. Women could not fight in wars, vote, and most did not know how to read. Men also abused their wives, and women were denied access to divorce even in the harshest conditions. It didn’t matter the economic conditions of the women, variety of women with economic differences were accused of witchcraft. There were very little women who led in religious events because, they would be accused of witchcraft. Most women who had a lead role in religion were often persecuted or banished. Anne Hutchinson who believed in freedom of religion

Witch hunting was the persecution and possible execution of individuals considered to be ‘witches’ loyal to the devil. It was an all too common occurrence from 1603-1712 all over Europe. However in order to understand why this happened the context must be taken into account. It was a time of change, the Renaissance - the rebirth of culture, ideas and attitudes to living. The Reformation had also only been implemented in England in the last 80 years back from 1603, when it had previously been catholic for centuries. The English civil war from 1642 to 1651 is argued to have played a part in the intensification of the witch hunts in England due to the peak in executions whilst it was on going. Some historians have taken the view that in time of crisis certain groups can be victimised like in wars, famine, disease outbreaks and changes in society structure.

What kind of woman would go to an extreme to kill not only her king and his daughter, but also her most precious gift, children, all due to love? Euripides Greek drama Medea, which dates back to 431 B.C.E conveys this image of a woman named Medea, who was not only a powerful foreigner who did the impossible to follow the man she loved through ocean waters, but also, viewed as a witch who threatened lives and who was feared. Does Medea really deserve or convey an aura of being a witch? or convey characteristics of being a human being? Her actions seem to show traits of being a woman deeply in love, human qualities, rather than a witch.

In the seventeenth century, United Kingdom had faced a struggle of war, known as the English Civil War. There were also debates on whether to fully support Parliament or the British Monarchy. During this economic struggle and paranoia of witchcraft threats, the hunt for witchcraft was growing. The Puritans were dominating their rites. The witch-hunts led to stressful realizations that society was in danger and being threatened. Witch trials were continuing, for instance in 1645, the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, had exposed a group of women including Rebecca West and her mother in Manningtree, for their witchcraft behavior. This was the beginning of his witch-hunt career. From this experience, he had defined himself as the Witchfinder General. Along with the well-known role set in mind,

"I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!" The Wicked Witch of the West...

In Rosalyn Schanzer’s Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem, the Salem Witch trials took place. What happened in Salem was something horrible, they hanged 19 innocent people for witchcraft and 1 was pressed to death. the hangings were on Gallows Hill. Not only that, but 200 people were accused. The Trials were Awful, so many lies told. Mothers accused children, and they did the same. Brothers accused brothers, and etcetera. Yet the aftermath was probably just as bad. People died, probably from the prison’s condition. people’s “apologies” were just another lie told after the trials ended (And what more could be said about the people who didn’t even apologize). last but not least the Money. Let the aftermath begin.