Plymouth Jury Trial Essay

Cotton Mather accounts the witch trial of Martha Carrier through reporting the accusations and crimes prosecuted against her. This trial was unjust because prosecution occurred to explain unnatural events by using unfounded, spectral evidence. All unnatural events affected the witnesses negatively in matters of health or occupation. This led the people of Salem to create a scapegoat for their misfortune and other ‘witches’ to persecute those near to them in the fear of death.

In the May of 1692, Increase Mather returned to New England with Sir William Phipps. By the time of their arrival, the witch trials were already taking place, having started a few months prior in February. As the witch hunt in Salem escalated, the prison cells started to fill up with individuals accused of witchcraft. The confusing political situation following the ascension on William and Mary and the new charter allowed for a court Oyer and Terminer to be put in place on the 27th of May 1692. The lieutenant governor, William Stoughton, became the chief magistrate for this newly appointed court.

The youngest person accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch trials was Dorothy Good, a small girl only 4 years of age. The Salem Witch Trials were a very dark and mysterious time. Many people were accused of very serious things, such as taking young girls over and cursing the town with misfortune. Some were hung for these actions, or jailed for their lives.

THE INTRODUCTION Good morning, my name is Braden Hoheisel, and it is my pleasure to represent the State of Maycomb and to serve as prosecutor in this life-changing case. On August 26, 1936 Mr. Gilmer harassed and disrespected Tom Robison in his court trial. He made false statements about stuff not related to the case and called Tom names. At the conclusion of this case, we hope that after you have heard all the evidence that you will choose the verdict of guilty on this case and the charges of harassment and lying.

Being the first two well-known places in which the English would set out to colonize in 1607 and 1620, Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth, Massachusetts hold very separate set of beliefs, standards, and outlooks on life then and the future to come. While paving the way for things such as slavery, taxes, ownership of land, inclusion of women, tobacco and government assemblies, John Smith and the people of Jamestown became a classical foundation for new life and economic growth for the new world that is, the United States. On the other hand, William Bradford and his people began to realize the intentions of the Church of England were unholy and had strayed away from God’s teachings from the Bible. With this in mind, the Pilgrims set on a voyage to the new world to seek religious freedom. As we know it, the Pilgrims sought for peace and a new way of living that was fair, just and free from religious corruptions.

The jury system originated in England hundreds of years ago. The colonists brought the jury system from England to the United States. In 1733, John Zenger, a printer, printed a newspaper critical for the British Government. His attorney convinced the jury to be in favor for Zenger because his criticisms were true. After this trial, it gave ordinary citizens the freedom of speech and the power to go against the king.

This court document is about six servants and a slave who left their master, were caught, and what their punishments were. At this time, growing tobacco required a lot of labor from indentured servants and slaves. The occasion for why this document was written is that several indentured servants and a slave escaped. There was just a judge, no juries or lawyers, which is similar to what happened in the Salem Witch Trials. The audience of this document are judges in other colonies.

By the 18th century, all colonies, except for one, had legislatures like the English Parliament. Twenty years about the arrival of the Virginia Company Charter, Virginia colonists had adapted English criminal justice practices to the New World. Most procedures dealing with indictment, arrest, bail, trial, judgement, and execution of sentence were familiar to an Englishmen. The courts tried minor criminal case, felony cases were heard at the General Court. “Dales Laws” were laws that expected colonists to attend daily church services under penalty of 6 months service in the of the galleys of Virginia company ships, but if you missed Sunday services repeatedly you could receive the death penalty.

Salem Witch Trials How would you like to be accused of something you did not do? During the Salem witch trials Elizabeth Proctor, the wife of John Proctor, was accused of witchcraft. Witchery was a huge deal in Salem, Massachusetts.

The ones still alive but accused had been pardoned by the Governor William Phips but since they were accused they were looked at as “dead” inferring to they would no longer have rights, their homes were taken away along with all their possessions. As years passed the Judges did believe that satan had cursed their town, but eventually had some remorse and decided that some of the trials were held unfairly and errors had occurred through out them(Salem witch trials). In 1697 one of the judges had written a letter of apology and confessed his guilt about the mis judgment of the trials. On the same date another 12 jurors who was sitting on the trials had signed a letter of regret asking for forgiveness from their error of

Throughout the winter of 1692, the small village of Salem, Massachusetts, was unaware of the upcoming events. Paranoia and fear fueled the wave of witch hysteria that swept through the quiet Salem village. An execution of the hanging of fourteen women and five men that were accused of being a witch was a result of the Salem witch trials. In addition, “one man was pressed to death by heavy weights for refusing to enter a plea; at least eight people died in prison, including one infant and one child; and more than one hundred and fifty individuals were jailed while awaiting trial” (Latner). The Salem witchcraft trials was caused by a number of religious factors.

(Amd. XV, sec. 1). This amendment came almost one hundred years after the constitution was ratified. Women finally got the right to vote with the nineteenth amendment. It is understandable for groups of people who were ignored by the constitution to be skeptical of democracy because they had a reason to

“The boy is five feet eight inches tall. His father was six feet two inches tall. That’s a difference of six inches. It’s a very awkward thing to stab down into the chest of someone who’s half a foot taller than you are. ”-(Juror two, 54)

Women's Voting Rights A woman voter, Susan B. Anthony, in her speech, Woman’s Right to Vote (1873), says that women should be allowed to vote. She supports this claim first by explaining that the preamble of the Federal Constitution states that she did not commit a crime, then she goes on about how women should be able to vote, then about how everyone hates the africans, and finally that the people of the United States should let women and africans vote. Anthony’s purpose is to make women able to vote in order to give women the right to vote on decisions made by the people. She creates a serious tone for the people of the United States.

Well, today I was found innocent by a jury of my peers, but I do not think any of the jurors understand what I have been through. It all started when my stepsons mother came into my house uninvited and on drugs. There was a verbal altercation and she laid her hands on me. I defended myself, but I didn’t stop. I seen red and after years and years of abuse I snapped and killed her.