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Summary of the 1692 Salem witch trials
The Salem Witch Trials analysis
The Salem Witch Trials analysis
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During the time of the Salem Witch Trials, accused witches were forced to complete at least one of seven tests. The first test was named "the swimming test". During this test, accused witches had to strip of all their clothes except their undergarments before they were thrown into a body of water. People believed that guilty witches would float, while the people that sunk were innocent. Ropes were tied around the accused persons waist, but drownings did still occur. ("7 Bizarre Witch Trial Tests") The second test was referred to as "the prayer test". In 1692, it was thought that real witches were unable to read out loud, so accused witches were forced to read sections of the Bible. People were proved to be working for the Devil if they
During the time of the Salem Witch Trials the intertwining of religion and government did not allow citizens of Salem, Massachusetts the right to a fair trial, so it was the states responsibility to separate the two. In the 1600’s the Puritan religion was greatly enforced by the government. It wouldn’t be until many years later that separation of church and state became a law.
It was considered as the first series of witch trials in Europe, but it was believed to have been at least three-hundred and sixty-seven people. The delegates from seven districts in Valais demanded that the authorities initiate an investigation against alleged witches and sorcerers. Anyone denounced as a sorcerer by more than three people was to be arrested. If they were to confessed, they were to be burned at the stake as heretics, and if they did not confess, they would be torture until they did so. The events began in Val d'Anniviers and Val d’Herens in southern Valais, within one and a half years, between one and two hundred people had been burned to death. The trials were poorly documented, there were several eyewitness but they were seemed as lacks of incomplete coverage. Some of the accusations were, flying through air, and plundering wine cellars, killing of cattles and curing the sickness by passing it on to someone else, cannibalism and the abduction and consumption of children meeting with Satan,would teach them magic only if they renounce Christianity, curses and conspiracy. Some were instead decapitated or tortured to death before being burned at the stake or admitting to
Scotland had a high number of casualties in their witch trials, with thousands of supposed witches tried, convicted, and executed. The number of accused is estimated to be 3,837. Sixty-seven percent of people accused were executed mainly by strangling followed by burning. Some were simply burned alive. A select few were beheaded or hanged. Those beheaded or hanged typically committed more crimes than just witchcraft. The percentage of executed is based on 305 cases where the outcome is known. “205 of these were to be executed, 52 were acquitted, 27 were banished, 11 were declared fugitive, 6 were excommunicated, 2 were put to the horn (outlawed), 1 person was to be kept in prison and 1 person was to be publicly humiliated” (“Survey of Scottish Witchcraft”). Therefore, it is not thought to be very accurate. 84% of the accused were women, 15% were men, and for the
Other similar altercations were declared by the neighbors gaining support for the Wescot case. There could be a natural explanation for both sudden deaths, but the timing of the two situations increased suspicion. The ministers had this and more evidence for the case, but unlike the Salem witch trials, they wanted to treat the case fairly and bring justice to the people with enough proof to convict the witches as such. Mister Jones had a guide called “Grounds for Examination of a Witch” (91), which listed seven items for “legitimate grounds for formal inquiry following an accusation of witchcraft.” (91) Proper investigations were processed to determine the veridity of the facts presented at court. People had different ideas on how to prove witchcraft. One of the methods was “ducking [which] involved binding suspects and then throwing them into water to see if they sank or not.” (97) This was a common method, at the time, to determine whether or not the accused was guilty of witchcraft. Both women failed to sink. Nevertheless, the method was not approved by the court of Stanford. As they reasoned, they came to the conclusion that the devil may have had invention and “the devil may represent an innocent person.” (100) The men in
Puritans believed in the devil and his role as strong as they believed in God and his role. For many centuries, Puritans had the idea that the weakest individuals in society often committed diabolical acts and sins. Furthermore, Satan selected the most vulnerable individuals to do his bidding, among these individuals, women were often held responsible for many sins, including witchcraft. (Godbeer 12). According to Richard Godbeer, in his book, The Salem Witch Hunt, “it was Eve who first gave away to Satan and seduced Adam.” (Godbeer 12). In 1692, witchcraft became a panic among Puritan society. Even though both men and women were accused of witchcraft, women were seventy-six percent more likely to be accused in Salem than men. (Godbeer 12). Puritan society was a male dominate society and men looked down upon women. There were two particular reasons to why women were often accused of being witches. The first reason, was in due to the Puritan belief that women were the source of evil. The second reason was because of certain events that associated with accusations. These events were being of relatively low social status and income, being rich or financially independent and being a midwife or nurse.
The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were the largest outbreak of witch hunting in colonial New England up to that time. Although it was the largest outbreak, it was not something that was new. Witch-hunting had been a part of colonial New England since the formation of the colonies. Between the years 1648 to 1663, approximately 15 witches were executed. During the winter of 1692 to February of 1693, approximately 150 citizens were accused of being witches and about 25 of those died, either by hanging or while in custody. There is no one clear-cut answer to explain why this plague of accusations happened but rather several that must be examined and tied together. First, at the same time the trials took place, King William's War was raging in present day Maine between the colonists and the Wabanaki Indians with the help of the French. Within this war, many brutal massacres took place on both sides, leaving orphaned children due to the war that had endured very traumatic experiences. Second, many of the witch accusations were based on spectral evidence, most of which were encounters of the accused appearing before the victim and "hurting" them. There were rampant "visions" among the colonies' citizens, which can only be explained as hallucinations due to psychological or medical conditions by virtue of disease, or poisoning.
The judges also decided to allow the so-called “touch-test” (defendants were asked to see if their touch, as was generally assumed of the touch of witches, would stop their contortions) and examinations of the bodies of the accused for evidence of “witches’ marks” (moles or the like upon which a witch’s familiar might suck)
There are some events in history that put the human race to shame; however, these occasions can change our future forever. Society cannot deny that social injustices occur almost every day, maybe even more than once. One large blemish in our history, the Salem Witch Trials, alienated a certain group in our society. These trials were an unfortunate combination of economic conditions, a flock’s strife, teenage boredom, and personal jealousies.
During the Salem Witch Trials, According to Bakker, “at least 156 people were formally accused, and another sixteen” were named in court by the afflicted girls, but not actually tried, “meaning at least 172 were accused or informally cried out upon.” (2017). When in court, “everyone who pled not guilty was swiftly tried and convicted, and almost all were soon executed, yet, everyone who pled guilty was still alive.” (Bakker, 2017). The Puritans believed in forgiveness and repenting, therefore anyone who pled guilty was thought to be cleansed or in the process of change. Along with this they were also forced to provide the names of other witches. In the end, “twenty-five would perish in the crisis.” (Bakker, 2017).
...en ask, “how do you know you are not a witch?”. Another test, the swimming test, was to bound a persons hands and feet and show them to water. If was believed that witches are unable to sink.
Once the accusations began, many innocent people in the community were taken away. They were then either forced to admit that they were witches, to free themselves from a public hanging, or deny that they were witches, saving their integrity, but subjecting themselves to an unjust public hanging.
Accusations of witchcraft ran rampant in the 17th century colonial settlements in the United States. The individuals accused, mostly women, were put on trial and punished, if found guilty. The most well-known of such cases on public record are the Salem Witch Trials. Between February, 1692 and May, 1693, hearings and prosecutions were set up to deal with those accused of dabbling in the dark arts in the cities of Andover, Salem, and Ipswich, all in Massachusetts Bay. These trials came to commonly be referred to as the Salem Witch Trials because some of the most notorious cases were heard in the Oyer and Terminer courts in Salem. At the time, practicing witchcraft was considered a serious crime, and was often punished with serious consequences.
The Witch Trials held in Salem, Massachusetts was based on spectral evidence, which is evidence that refers to a witness testimony that the accused person's spirit or spectral shape appeared to him/her witness in a dream at the time the accused person's physical body was at another location. This way of finding whether or
At the time of the witch trials in Salem, one who was accused of being a witch would either have to confess to
Pricking was enough evidence to prosecute. Swimming was based on the idea that devils and their agents could not sink in water. Watching was based on the concept that witches had familiars or imps provided by the Devil and these familiars assisted witches in diabolical