In the spring of 1692 the Salem witch trials began. During this time in history women accused of being witches often faced being torture, testing, and trials. Most of the time witches experienced executions if not that, put in jail. The townspeople tortured the accused witches in the most inhumane ways. This is considered a very dark and eerie time of the Puritans in Salem, Massachusetts (P., Shaunak). A group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts told the people of their town they had been possessed by the devil and accused several women from their town of possessing them. The ringleader of the girls, Abigail Williams, niece of Samuel Paris the town’s priest and her cousin Elizabeth Paris started having irrational fits and violent outburst. Since the girls kept having these violent outbursts Samuel Paris called for doctor William Griggs. Griggs examined the girls and diagnosed them with being bewitched. Soon a whole group of girls started acting as if they had been possessed as well, including; Ann Putnam Jr., Mercy Lewis, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Walcott and Mary Warren. This group of girls kept up this horrible act all because Tituba Paris’ slave saw them doing witchcraft in the woods late one night. This became a problem for Tituba being a slave; she knew her word would not be considered reliable. The girls prank got even worse when their accusations caused warrants for arrests on Tituba, along with Sarah Good, Sarah Osborn, Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, Bridget Bishop,
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.
During the period of late seventeenth century in colonial Salem, Massachusetts, two girls began acting in an uncanny manner. These girls then accused two woman and a slave for being witches; which caused the town of Salem to emerge into a period of witch cleansing. Mostly, the people of Salem were Puritans who found many different reasons to accuse one of being a witch. The start of the witch trials began in 1692 and ended in 1693 by Governor Phips; whose wife was prosecuted as a witch. These Salem Witch Trials began by religious superstition, the appearance of the perceived witch, and through torture and forced confessions.
The Salem Witch Trials, also know as the Salem Witchcraft Trials were legal proceedings which took place of course in the Salem Village of Massachusetts. These trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in the village, claimed to be possessed by the devil accusing several local women of practicing the craft. Victims were prosecuted and executed for reputedly practicing witchcraft, when little to no evidence of the act itself existed. This historical period resulted in twenty people, mostly women, being hung for black magic conspiracies. Neighbors accused neighbors; even church members accused other church members of witchcraft. Others were accused, but fled the area before they could be arrested. During this time
Throughout history, there have been many cases of discriminatory accusations of people, including the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials were a string of trials, hearings and prosecutions of many people accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts between the dates of February 1692 and May 1693. The trials ended up leading to the execution of twenty people, men and women, but mainly women. The Salem Witch Trials that took place about three hundred years ago affected the lives of everyday civilians during that time in ways such as politically, religiously, economically, fearfully, mentally, and sometimes in other various other ways.
1692. The year of ill children, women fits of convulsion, and hallucinations. The year also consisted of swimming tests and prayer tests for women with English Puritan backgrounds. The Salem witch trials occurred in Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 300 people were accused of practicing witchcraft (the Devil 's magic). 20 woman were executed. Before all of this happened, life in Salem was like any normal day. Women and children had expectations as well as men did, you did not disobey God nor go against him, or act out of character. Life in the 1690’s was more of a man’s world and which always gave them the upper hand. Women were always looked down upon which gave men greater power. Unlike God’s followers (men), women were considered evil worshipers of the devil. During the trials, men proved that they really did have the upper hand.
In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, hysteria broke out throughout the town in an event that later became known as the Salem Witch Trials. They were the largest account of witch hangings ever in America, as 20 women and men were put to death for being accused of practicing witchcraft. Historians have been debating about how these trials were caused. The frenzy in Salem happened because at first, young girls were afraid of punishment and wanted to avoid it so they blamed older women and accused them of being witches. These accusations began to spiral out of control when the religion of the town supported the allegations, which causes paranoia and panic to spread throughout Salem, which blinded the townspeople from clues revealing that the
Salem was a very disperse community in the Massachusetts Bay colony with a growing Puritan community in the northern America. Towns in the colony were scattered by a half days travel or more. In view of this, transportation and communication was a very slow and the settlers were threatened by the attack of bears and other wild animals. Puritans were spiritual people and believed that God is the ruler of everything they possessed. The puritans believed that they were the chosen people and therefore they had to seek perfection. They were also of the believe that it was God who provided them with good health, riches and fortunes. Salvation was an important virtue of the puritans and God could take away their salvation if they sinned and went contrary to the bible. Also, misfortunes and bad things happened to them as a presence of evil and showed Gods disapproval of their salvation. Bible reading, fasting, prayers and preaching formed an integral part of the puritan community
The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692 when citizens turned on each other and accused their neighbors of witchcraft, the Devil’s magic. The trials, which lasted from June to September, resulted in nineteen men and women being hanged, one man being pressed to death, and many other people dying in jail. Almost as soon as it began, the hysteria that had swept through Puritan Massachusetts ended. There are many opinions as to why the witchcraft trials caused such hysteria in Salem but many conclude that it was triggered by a spoiled food supply, Puritan religious beliefs, the constricted roles of females in Salem society, and the political and social tensions in the colony.
Over 20 died and over 200 people between 20 and 80 years of age were imprisoned for two years. For over a decade people believed those living in a small Massachusetts town had a peaceful farming life; however, in the month of February of 1691 things took a dramatic turn. The Salem Witch Trials only happened for two years but is one of the most known stories about the puritans and how they fought against an evil force.
Salem 1692, were witches real, were the people of salem in any danger, or was this all just a simple misunderstanding. There had never been an event so miscalculated in history question still is why had it happened? Back then the word that was feared the most was that one word that should almost dever be said, devil and it had its own name for a reason.
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.
In 1692 the Salem Witch Trials happened in Salem, Massachusettes. The trials were to prosecute people who were accused of witch craft. Some of the people were hung and many others were arrested. The trials went from 1692 and 1693.
The infamous witch trials were a serious of trails and executions of people accused of witchcraft; the belief in or practice of magical skills and abilities that can be practiced or exercised by individuals and specific social groups (Linder 1). The Salem Witch Trials began in February of 1692 and lasted all the way until May of 1693. The trials resulted in the death of at least twenty-five people; nineteen executed by hanging, one tortured to death, and at least five died (including two infants) in jail due to harsh conditions. Hundreds of others accused of witchcraft and dozens weakened in jail for months without trials (Ray 1). The true cause of the Salem Witch trials is unknown and does not have a simple answer, but a major
When examining the topic of the Salem witch trials of 1692-93, Cotton Mather is presumed to be a major cause behind the hysteria of the events. He contributed to this image, perhaps unknowingly, by publishing numerous works especially “Wonders of the Invisible World.” At first glance, Mather 's book seems to be just a detailed account of the trials and executions that took place in the Massachusetts colony, but deeper investigation reveals otherwise. To dispel Mather 's arguments and reveal more details on the events of Salem at this time, Robert Calef published “More Wonders of the Invisible World” in 1700. Calef 's book seems just as capable as Mather 's book to maintain longevity in the world of literature and American history, however Mather has held a much more prominent stance out of the two. By examining Cotton Mather 's obligation to God and comparing the language of Mather and Calef, we develop more understanding as to why his arguments remain more prominent than Calef 's as well as how both of the authors influenced literature and American history in general.
The Salem Witch Trials transpired from 1692 to 1693 resulting with many imprisonments; yet, only twenty deaths. The witch frenzy materialized from the allegations of a group of young girls claiming to be possessed by supernatural forces. Yet, the people accused of being witches in Salem, Massachusetts did not practice witchcraft. The Puritans were falsely accused of sorcery which can be proven through many theories and the false credibility of legal evidence.