The Salem Witch Trials In 1692

The Devil Discovered: Salem Witchcraft, 1692 One of the most horrific events that occurred in American history was The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 that took place in Salem Village, Massachusetts, now known as Danvers, Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials were the accusations of two hundred people that were believed to be practicing witchcraft or worshiping the Devil. The witch trials began in the early year of 1692 and ended in 1693. Enders A. Robinson believes that the witch hunt occurred because of conspiracies formed by the townspeople, and because of the relation of religion and social ideas.

Also, the Salem Witch Trials spread everywhere and everybody was scared, while this was going around.(Salem Witch Trials) People would go through a trial, if they were accused of witchcraft.(Salem Witch Trials) If they would confess they wouldn’t get hanged, but if they didn’t confess, then they would get hanged.(Salem Witch Trials) Betty Parris, and Abigail Williams began having fits including; violent Contortions, and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming.(Salem Witch Trials)Some of the girls would follow Abigail, during this whole accusing was going on.(Salem Witch Trials)

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts a violent panic broke out. The Salem witch trial hysteria largely caused by religious beliefs, suspicious acts, and ergot poisoning. One main cause of the witch hysteria was religious beliefs. Puritans of the Church were strong holders of every small thing in the Bible.

The girls were hysteria and making the whole town go insane. These girls weren't bored accusing these innocent women of being a

“ If there was enough evidence against these three women, they would eventually face a formal trial.” In this quote it says if the judges thought there was enough then they would be faced n a formal quart, they did not get to prove that they were innocent from the beginning. “But even though Cory was a well-liked member of the puritans religion elite, several people disapprove of her because she had once borne an illegitimate mulatto son.” In this quote people did not like her because of her son not because she was a witch so most people were accused for stupid reasons. “Ann, swore she had seen the apparition of a minister.

After their trials, the girls accused more townsfolk. They might have faked their crazed reactions, being tortured when the accused made certain gestures. They might have done this since as young girls, they are at the bottom of the social food chain. They cannot speak publicly or give any opinions. Now, their every word was taken as fact, any accusations they made became true.

Salem Village, as part of the colony of Massachusetts Bay experienced turmoil from external and internal factors that contributed to the crisis known as the Salem Witchcraft Trials in 1692 to 1693. Being accused of witchcraft that lead to a trial was not unheard of before this event, however the scale and hysteria of the event can be attributed to a few factors. The mass hysteria experienced by Salem Village did not appear out of nowhere. There was a sense of unease and fear due to the ongoing war between New France and New England, King William’s War. Not far North of Salem Village there were raids of towns by Native American’s on behalf of the French, including Andover, Massachusetts where they burned the village, and in the following year

Document E shows us that thirty-two out of thirty-four accusers lived on the west side of town. This would mean that almost all of the accused lived on the east side of town. According to the note on Document E, the people living on the east side of town tended to be more affluent and had more political power. In the contrast, the accusers that lived on the west side had very little to no wealth, and they had no political power. This evidence helps explain the hysteria because it shows that loss of wealth and power can cause resentment.

Introduction George Jacobs Sr. said, “You tax me for a wizard, you may as well tax me for a buzzard I have done no harm.” Although his words were true, many chose to either believe this hysteria or turn the other way. He died along with many other women and men. This was just the start of the many terrors of the Salem witch trials. Yet if you confessed to being a witch then you had a better chance of living, but if you denied you would automatically get hanged.

The year of 1692 identified a significant event in history in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials revealed series of prosecutions of people being accused of witchcraft, which resulted in the executions of twenty innocent people. Out of the twenty people, fourteen of them were women were hung to death and the others died in prison. It all began with several girls that experimented with magic, which the Puritans believed they were collaborating with the Devil. Based on the Puritan beliefs, the meaning of witchcraft was the Devil’s magic.

The Salem Witch Trials were a series of trials that occurred during Colonial America where many people, mostly women, were falsely accused of and wrongly punished for performing witchcraft. There is a well documented history of these accounts, including the causes, the results, and similar cases throughout history. During the end of 1692 and the beginning of 1693 there were a series of court cases where over 100 members of the town of Salem, Massachusetts were accused of being witches. Witches are defined as people with special powers

For instance, many of the accused were important members of the community with moderate wealth. If they were convicted, the law stated the accuser would receive their property so identifying them as a witch would be beneficial to them. Another considered though unrealistic theory was the result of centuries of pent up sexual repression and tension caused them to snap and go after witches who were considered to be promiscuous. Some think the girls may have had epilepsy, were abused, had mental defects, made up the whole thing as a game, or were forced to do it by their parents to get revenge on individuals they didn’t like. Some Historians believe wealth, difference in religious preferences, family feuds, and property disagreements were the basis.

Women often accused other women for various reasons. The accusation was threatening to their future even if they were found innocent. So, to protect themselves, they accused other women in fear of being without a spouse as they grow older and unable to fulfill the duties that a puritan women was characterized by: taking care of her children and husband. This vulnerability in the minds of women allowed the prosecutors to persuade them of their devilish acts even if they weren’t actually guilty.

With their radical ideas and firm social system, the Puritans were their own cause for the Salem Witch Trials. During the late 1600’s, a normal Puritan belief was that Satan controlled the “invisible world”, such as disease, catastrophes, and anything that humans could not explain. This type of mindset can lead to much chaos, such as the witch trials of 1692.

Arthur Miller shows us a motif of resentment in his play, The Crucible, primarily by using elements of class distinction, appearance vs. reality, and many characters living an on-edge lifestyle. The element of appearance vs. reality is effectively shown through the young girls accusing people of being witches, more specifically Abigail. Most people of Salem believe that the girls claiming to be aware of witches are truthful because of their young innocent nature. Abigail is accusing many people she knows and is believed because she appears to be harmless and innocent while in reality she is crazy for accusing innocent people of being witches.