The Salem Witch Trials Essay

The Salem witch trials were a result of mass hysteria. It was caused by false accusations. On May 1693, fourteen women, five men, and two dogs were executed for supposed supernatural crimes. The Salem trials have a unique place in our collective history today. (" Saxon, V,Procedure Used in...").

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.

The trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts Bay with the cases being brought to the local magistrates of the town. The trials were a result of several young girls who had fallen ill and began to experience “fits” (Source K). Controversy stirred in the town after a local doctor of the town said that they were something from something of the supernatural (Source K). Before one can look at the individual cases of the black witches who were persecuted for witchcraft, one must gain an understanding of the nature of these

More girls showed symptoms of bewitchment and they later accused Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Dorcas Good (a four-year

Confused on what was going on, the village turned to the doctors in which said that it was a form of witchcraft. The Reverend asked the girls who was behind all of this, thinking that the girls couldn't do this on their own. Three names came up in the conversation with the girls. On February 29, 1692, three arrests were made. One was Sarah Good who denied the accusations and blamed it on the other woman, Sarah Osbourne, who also denied the whole thing. During the trial of the three women, the other one accused, a slave of Reverend Parris named Tituba, had admitted to being a witch. She claimed that four women and a man had claimed that if she did not hurt the children then they would hurt her. The hunt went on to find more witches that were responsible in which led them to a respected church member Reverend George Burroughs, a former minister in Maine. The villagers went to Maine and brought him back to Salem to be tried for witchcraft.

These girls did not all show “symptoms” at one time. The first girl to start experiencing symptoms was Betty Parris. She was followed by Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam Jr., Mary Walcott and Mercy Lewis (History of Massachusetts). These girls were throwing tantrums, hiding under furniture and contorting to pain. Since panic and fear set in, witchcraft was the easy choice to make. In today’s medical science, these girls would have been diagnosed with boredom or epilepsy. Although at the time the cause was unknown, these symptoms were probably brought on from eating rye infected with fungus. The three victims were not the only ones accused. There were numerous cases of scapegoating running prevalent.

Everyone knows about the blood bath that was the Salem Witch Trials, but what not many know is what caused it and how it affected Americans throughout History. In the summer of 1692, it all started. A couple of Puritans thought that their daughters were being influenced by the Devil, but what they did not know is what the doctor said would affect the whole town, and eve their ancestors. Thesis: Many peaceful years after the Puritans’ journey to the new world, trouble arose through the Salem Witch Trials by what happened, what caused it, and the effects.

== == == = The Salem Witchcraft Trials occurred because of the depth of Salem Puritans' belief in witchcraft and the devil.

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

During the late 1600s, Salem, Massachusetts faced a period of witch trials due to panic stirring among the Puritans in the area. Because of these

Furthermore, many other difficult situations were appearing for colonists in Salem Village, including a smallpox epidemic, threats from neighboring Native Americans, a rivalry with Salem Town, and the arrival of many Canadian refugees following a war with France (“Salem Witch Trials”). The numerous issues leading up to the Salem witch trials caused large amounts of stress and trepidation, and initiated a chaotic chain of events.

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.

The Salem Witch Trials were a tragic event that echoed throughout history. Twenty lives were taken in 1691 and 1692. Over 150 others were accused and thrown in prison and even more have been haunted by this hardship.

Before 1692, the supernatural was a part of people’s everyday normal life. This is so as people strongly believed that Satan was present and active on earth. Men and women in Salem Village believed that all the misfortunes that befell them were the work of the devil. For example, when things like infant death, crop failures or friction among the congregation occurred, people were quick to blame the supernatural. This concept first emerged in Europe around the fifteenth century and then spread to Colonial America. Formerly, peasants heavily relied on particular charms for farming and agriculture. But, over time, white magic transformed into dark magic and it became associated with evil. Even though the people of Salem believed that Satan

The first warrant was issued for the arrests of 6 girls and Tituba on February 29th, 1692. The 6 girls were Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Parris, Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Pulman, Mary Walcot, and Marcy Lewis. These girls were questioned and eventually released after they had all accused two different girls, Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne, of being the perpetrators of their so-called "bewitchment", along with Tituba. Sarah Osbourne was released but Tituba and Sarah Good were both put in jail until someone paid Tituba's jail bill, she was released and never seen again, while Sarah was sentenced to death. Some believed that Sarah Good was accused of witchcraft, like many others, because she was considered "socially undesirable".