The Puritan Religion And Belief In The Salem Witch Trials

The Puritan Society was primarily responsible for the Salem Witch Trials. Their radical ideals and religious zealotry led to mass hysteria in Salem town. In the end, their ultra strict way of life and intolerant behavior caused what has become a major embarrassment in history.

Between the months of June to September of 1692, the infamous witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts resulted in the hanging of 19 men and women; the deaths of five others, including two children, while imprisoned in jail; the pressing to death of an 80-year old man, and the stoning of two dogs for collaborating with the Devil. Hundreds of others faced accusations and dozens more were jailed for months during the progress of the trials. For over three hundred years these events have not only captured the general publics' imagination, but that of the academic community. Beginning with Charles Upham, in 1867, historians have attempted to explain the mass hysteria that swept through Salem in 1692. These accounts vary both in their

The largest outbreak of witchcraft in America took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. A group of girls, including the Parris’s Indian slave Tituba, gathered in the Salem village and were attempting to see the future by decoding “messages”. Shortly after this gathering the girls started showing signs of the possessed (pg. 73). To this day people all over America are still amazed with the events that took place in this time. But why is that? The fear of the village fell heavily onto the judicial system, which later made people focus on the proper separation of government and religious beliefs. Mass hysteria broke out amongst the village and many people were being accused, therefore leading to many innocent deaths. Although there could be many theories as to the reason the witch trials in Salem began, there are two points of view that are very commonly shared amongst people. Some believe that the Salem witch trials were women unconsciously searching for power, whereas others believe it was an encephalitis epidemic.

Puritans had many beliefs that affected the Salem Witch Trials, these were based on how the attendance or lack of attendance of the church, how people should behave, social class, and the way the government should be handled. Puritans were English Protestants that came to America in 1630. They sought to reform the Church of England. When they first came to America they settled at Salem, Massachusetts. The main reason the Puritan’s came to Salem was for freedom of religion which they did not have in England. The Puritans also came because they believed that the Church of England was not religious or enforcing religion enough. Puritans were just like the Pilgrims. Years later the Salem Witch Trials started in 1692 and ended

During the time period of 1691 to 1692 the town of Salem, a small thriving community within the Puritan Massachusetts Bay colony, was struck by widespread hysteria in the form of witch trials. The way these trials and accusations played out are historically unlike any other witch trials found in European and American history. Historians have pointed to a number of economic, political, and social changes of the then existing institutions throughout the Massachusetts Bay area to be the cause of the Salem witch trials, along with the direction they took. If studied closely however, it becomes apparent that the main cause for the Salem witch trials can be found in the way the people of Salem viewed and

The Salem Witch Trials were a prime part of American history during the early 17th century. During this time, religion was the prime focus and way of life within colonies. This was especially true for the Puritan way of life. Puritans first came to America in hopes of practicing Christianity their own way, to the purest form. The Puritans were fundamentalists who believed every word transcribed in the Bible by God was to be followed exactly for what it was. The idea of the devil controlling a woman and forming her into a Witch was originated from people’s lack of awareness on illness, disease or simple hysteria. The Colonists lack of expertise on the methodical approach through sciences, left them concluding to a spiritual phenomenon.

In 1692, the subjects of Salem Massachusetts turned on each other, and blamed hundreds for their own neighbors with Witchcraft. Amid the era of June to September 1692, nineteen individuals were unjustifiably killed after ridiculous trials discovered them liable of demonstrations of Witchcraft. The explanations for the trials themselves are perplexing and multifaceted. Financial matters, religious imperatives, financial class issues, corrupted nourishment supply, property question, congregational quarrels and juvenile young ladies ailing in consideration all remain at the center of the Salem Witch

As the late 17th century approached, a very dark time fell on Salem, Massachusetts, and it lasted two seasons, from February 1692 to September 1692. The Salem Witch Trials happened in a time when people in the community would let their fears of Satan and the supernatural accompany their human faults. No one in the community would be safe from it and the accusations were not limited to any social class, as neighbors would accuse each other of witchcraft. The town soon began to pick off anyone in the community that would disagree with one another. The once faithful, Puritan Christian community of Salem began hangings at Gallows Hill and by the time they realized the extent of their damage, a complete count of nineteen

The Salem Witch Trials are one of the best known outbreaks of hysteria and fear in American history. This event began when Betty Parris, who was a daughter of Salem’s church’s minister, and Abigail Williams, who was her cousin, experiences several occasions of odd, violent behavior that they blamed on witchcraft. They accused two white women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne, as well as a slave, Tituba, of practicing witchcraft in the village. The three women were arrested, interrogated, and kept in jail (Plouffe 1587). Hysteria and fear quickly spread throughout the village. Eventually, nineteen people were executed for witchcraft, about one hundred people spent time in jail, and about two hundred people were accused (“Salem Witch Trials”). Although the reasons behind this massive burst of terror seem clear and simple, there are actually several aspects of the trials that should be more closely examined. Topics that need to be analyzed include the ties between Puritanism and witchcraft, the difficult and obscure nature of the witchcraft accusations, and the socioeconomic factors within the village that led to the witch trials themselves.

Many people have heard of the Salem Witch Trials and also many people have not. “The Salem Witch Trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693.” Blumberg, Jess. Some people say the Witch Trials occurred because of a fungus the people did not know about, and the fungus was consumed by them. Yet, some people believe that the people in the town just had gone completely insane. To an extent the fungus accusation was a big possibility, but it’s a possibility to an even bigger extent that many of people were hung or executed for a crime they did not commit. Living in Salem at this time was like living in a warzone, everybody was against everybody just to keep themselves safe and that is just how it was for the people

The total hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts that quickly spread out of control in a rush of lies, witch accusations and death is known as The Salem Witch Trials. People in the 1600’s strongly believed in the existence of witchcraft, so much so that it led to mass hangings. The events are famous because of books and plays, like The Crucible, that are written about them. These books have led to more and more people becoming interested in the Trials More research is being done on why they happened and what kept them going. There have been many theories as to what actually afflicted the girls. People know from studying the history that religious turmoil and greed helped fuel the flame. The answer to what started the spark was actually a type of

Puritans were members of the Protestant church in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Participants of this religion sough not to separate from the Church of England, but to purify it. The persecution of Puritan peeked under the rule of Henry VIII after he demolished ties with the Catholic Church of Rome. This separation caused bloodshed between the old church and the new church, the Anglicans (#ONE). This violence led the Puritans to set sail for the New World in 1630 (#TWO).

Beginning in 1692 in the small farming community of Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony, young girls fell ill and initiated odd behavior. Physicians determining the cause of the outbursts deemed impossible, leaving one option remaining: witchcraft. Now, with the supernatural rumors spreading throughout the minuscule Puritan community, commenced a mass hysteria. Neighbors accused neighbors, daughters accused mothers, even a dog was tried and killed. A year later, the paranoia and fear settled, but not after the death of at least twenty people. One might wonder, how does a simple, small town gain such fear in the unproven accusations of others?

The story of the Salem Witch Trials is a sad and convoluted one that shows the impact of supposition spun out of control. What began with the mysterious symptoms exhibited by a few young girls eventually over took the entire community. As pressure was placed upon the accused and the accusers more were drawn into the affair some used it as a convenient opportunity to settle other scores under the guide of saving the community from witchcraft.

“Soon prisons were filled with more than 150 men and women from towns surrounding Salem. Their names had been "cried out" by tormented young girls as the cause of their pain. All would await trial for a crime punishable by death in 17th-century New England, the practice of witchcraft.” This excerpt from an article about the Salem Witch Trials embodies the concept of punishment which the Puritans embraced. As shown, Puritans applied ideals of punishment and discipline to prevent sinful behavior, which proves to beneficial in controlling such events. Many individuals increasingly view Puritan doctrines in a negative light. However, these morals actually keep communities well-maintained and religiously aware of sin and its consequences. Puritan morals are beneficial to societies because they encourage the avoidance of unholy activities, increased self-control, and moderation of behavior.