As colonies were being founded in the early 1600's, religion was a key factor in determining laws. Massachusetts was established in 1620 by Pilgrims. These Pilgrims had fled England to avoid religious persecution. However, The New World was not their first stop. The Pilgrims originally traveled to New Amsterdam, where they were tolerated. Despite this, the Pilgrims, who were extremely strict, did not believe New Amsterdam was a good place to raise their children in, since they disliked foreign culture. Later, Massachusetts conducted a witch hunt. Those who were considered unholy, mostly poor women, were tried for witchcraft. A total of 18 women and 1 man were killed during what became known as the Salem Witch Trials. Years later in 1634 the
Elena Contreras Mrs. Polatty AP US. History/4B 20 September 2016 DBQ #1 WC: Scattered across the timeline of the period that includes the 17th and 18th centuries, the English colonies managed to construct an uncommon government system filled with revolutionary ideas that only pertained to their specific group. They created a unique government that permitted each individual person to have a say in the decisions about the country. The whole general idea of political rights created a well-known status that was unique to America alone.
English merchants who took advantage of the natural harbor and the abundant fishing, founded Salem in 1626, which was named after the holy city Jerusalem. When people hear the word witches they imagine them as old women, who are into evil and enquire pleasure from inflicting pain and misfortune upon others in the name of an ungodly master. The trepidation of devil-worship and witchcraft swept through Salem, Massachusetts, like a plague. The words from friends, family, neighbors, and even complete strangers put the lives of many people in danger. During 1692-1693 more then 200 people, children, men, and women were accused of witch craft.
Massachusetts Bay Colony Goals It was established by a group of puritans led by a John Winthrop with a goal of colonizing a wide area in the New England where they would establish what he referred to as a model religious community in the New World. This was a theocracy that forced people to worship and live in an orthodox way, a theory based on John Calvin’s teachings. John Winthrop was tired of trying to reform the church in England in which he believed there was the need to purify it against the influences of Catholicism. The Puritans had been opposed by both the Anglican Church and the ruling monarch in England. It is for this reason that they migrated to America, established the Massachusetts Bay colony and create their own religious community.
In the 1600 a large group of very religious people left their homes and went to the New World. In the Bible it states, that no witches (people who have the devil in them) should not live, so the Puritans would accuse people, mainly women, of being witches for simple reasons. This caused 20 people to be put to a painful death and more than one hundred in jails. What is the reason for the hysteria surrounding the Witch Trials in Salem 1692? The Salem Witch Trials hysteria of 1692 was caused by the belief in witches, the fear of being accused of witchcraft and the punishments all witches would fear.
Alternative Explanations of Witch Behaviors During the Salem Witch Trials By: Chloe Lindner In 1692, a group of girls were accused of performing witchcraft in Salem Village, Massachusetts. After the first accusations were made, more than 200 men, women, and children were convicted. The colonists believed the strange behavior of the accused to be the result of demonic possession and other supernatural forces.
Witch Hunts: Comparison of Salem in the 1690’s vs. America in 2018 Witch hunts in Salem during the 1690’s was a traumatic and horrifying experience that consisted of many trials to accomplish one goal - to get rid of witchcraft in Salem. Imagine being in Salem during the 1690’s, in a time where friends, family and people around in the community were being accused of witchcraft. Also they were possibly hung to death for something they didn’t do. It created a violent uproar in the town because it split people into two sides with a middle selection not being the option. Arthur Miller writes the dramatic story of The Crucible that is a fictional story based on the true events of the Salem Witch Trials.
In New England, religion played a huge part in there colonies, settlers in Massachusetts
Freedom to Prosecute Religion Colonial America is often thought of as a safe haven from religious persecution. Future colonists had been persecuted for not accepting their countries ' religious doctrine and were willing to travel long distances in search of religious freedom. Religious freedom would still be far from grasp as Puritans would continue their homelands traditions of persecution for many more years. Puritans, unlike the Pilgrims (who sought to completely separate from the Church of England), wanted to purify the Church.
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 started from the English colonists who were mostly Puritans meaning they were very religious and believed in the supernatural and that the devil granted certain people with the powers to harm others, particularly to destroy christian communities. There had been smallpox outbreaks, a colonial war between Britain and France, a new charter, and other conflicts happening in the England colony and all of these events increased the colonists belief in witchcraft. Mostly older women were the ones who were convicted in court for being accused of witchcraft by anyone; neighbors, strangers, even some daughters would testify against their own mothers. The witch trials lasted from June to September in 1692, the governor released the convicted people from prison and declared the trials to be unlawful. They then created a law that spectral evidence was no longer allowed to be used in court(Salem).
In Salem, Massachusetts, Puritans were strong believers in the Bible. The Bible states, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” The Puritans beliefs led to them accusing 20 innocent people of being a witch, this resulted in their deaths in 1692. Even though the Puritans couldn’t see it at the time, their accusations were really based off jealousy, lies, and Salem being divided into two parts. One cause of the Salem witch trial hysteria was jealousy.
any innocent people in the colonial times who were accused of witchcraft didn't even partake in any of the activities that were associated with witchcraft, were still labeled as witches, and harshly punished or sentenced to death. The people of salem frowned upon witchcraft. the people had come to the conclusion that the devil had come to their town in 1692. Most of the cases of witchcraft were girls were acting strange and doing weird activities with women in the woods believed to be witches.the townspeople thought this was strange and took action.
The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts during the late 17th century (1692 and 1693 to be specific). During this time, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were executed. Eventually, the colony provided compensation to the families of the convicted and admitted the trials were a mistake. To this day, the trials are commonly associated with paranoia and injustice, and have caught interest of many people more than 300 years later. However, the Trials casted a dark shadow on the surrounding Indian tribes-specifically the lives of the Wabanaki Indians.
The Salem Witch trials popped up around 1692 and they were a disaster. The reason why they came up was because of their religion. The people in the town of Salem were puritans. This means their religion was very strict and that they believed in the devil. The way this all started was that the people who were accused of being witches were acting funny.
Religion played a great role in the establishment of the English colonies. The main reason the English traveled to North America was to escape religious persecution. Once the English settled in they created colonies, and established rules for a religious society. They would also try to convert Natives into Christianity, and they established universities to practice ministry. Once the English settlers got to North America, the House of Burgesses in 1619 said they would try to convert Native children specifically boys into a “ true religion”, then eventually teach them how teach them how to be Christian civil people.
Many practicing Christians, at the time, believed that the Devil could persuade people to use the powers that he gave them to harm others. The Salem Witch Trials occurred because of resource struggles, many women were accused and tortured, and in the end the Governor realized that it was a big mistake. (“Salem Witch Trials”, 1). In 1689, English rulers William and Mary started a war with France in the American colonies which sent many refugees into the Essex County and Salem Village.