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Religion and the Salem Witch Trials
Religion and the Salem Witch Trials
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Salem witch trials research paper The salem witch trials began in 1692 and went on for a year resulting in 19 executions and 150 other accusations of witchcraft, filling prisons with innocent people. It began with a girl who was having “fits” or convulsions which they diagnosed as witchcraft. This made the puritans go into a state of hysteria. The events of the salem witch trial took place in a massachusetts puritan village, They were a highly religious group which meant they believed strongly in the devil and witchcraft. The puritans were very intolerant, it was mandatory to attend church and individuality was frowned upon. They had a very strict moral code that punished all sins. knowing how the puritans lived and what they perceived as
The Salem Witch trials were when hundreds of citizens of Salem, Massachusetts were put on trial for devil-worship or witchcraft and more than 20 were executed in 1692. This is an example of mass religion paranoia. The whole ordeal began in the home of Reverend Samuel Parris. People soon began to notice strange behavior from Parris’s slave, Tituba, and his daughters. Many claimed to have seen Parris’s daughters doing back magic dances in the woods, and fall to the floor screaming hysterically. Not so long after, this strange behavior began to spread across Salem.
The evidence presented against the supposed witches during the Salem Witch Trials was not physical evidence. Most of the testimonies given by the townspeople were random happenstances that were told to make the accused seem guilty. Other types of evidence given were statements about the accusers being bitten and pinched; this apparently classified as bewitching someone. Some of the accused claimed to be conspiring with the devil so they would not be executed and instead be put in prison (Godbeer 143). Many years later statements given by testifiers were recanted, jurors apologized, and the families of the executed were given compensation for their loss.
The Salem Witch Trials took place in Massachusetts in 1692. This time in our country was ruled by Puritan ideas. Everything you did, you did for God so that you could go to Heaven and not be damned
...in their family to become sick and possibly die. Many people were accused of witchcraft. More than twenty people died all together. One person was flattened to death because he was accused of witchcraft. When people were accused they had to go to jail, which the conditions were terrible. Then, they had to get a trial from the Court of Oyer and Terminer. After an accused witch had their trial, and went to jail, they would be carted off to Gallows Hill. This was the hill where all the witches were hanged. After a witch was hanged, later that night, their family would usually take the body down and give it a proper burial. The Salem Witchcraft Trials were one of the most terrible times in the history of America. As you can see the chaotic Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were caused by superstition, the strict puritan lifestyle, religious beliefs, and hysteria.
First, the Puritan values and expectations were strict, and those who had defied their teachings would have been at a much higher chance of being accused as a witch. Second, economic struggles within Salem Town and Village had further divided the two, by crop failure and livestock death. Ultimately causing economic damages. Third, personal opinions and disputes had contributed to the trials and accusations. The law system was unfair during the trials, so when or if someone was accused the court would side with the accuser, unless of course, they were a witch themselves. In conclusion, the people who died and who were accused of witchcraft were not really witches, Salem and it’s inhabitants were under the influence of mass hysteria, personal beliefs and grudges that eventually became the chaos of the Salem witch hunts of
Witchcraft has been present in many other religions, not only the Puritan religion. Witchcraft was also found in Catholic and Protestant parts of Europe. The Salem Witch Trials were smaller in comparison to those in Scotland, France, or Germany (Hall 3). Though the trials in Salem were smaller, people recognize the Salem Witch Trials as one of the worst times in American history (“Witch Madness” 4). The Puritans believed that the Devil was alive in their community (“Witch Madness” 2). The accusations started in February 1692 in Salem Village, Massachusetts when young Puritan girls were found using magic. The Salem Witch Trials began when Betty Paris, Abigail Williams, and some of their friends began to act strange with odd fits (Hall 1). Because many mental and emotional disorders were not understood, the people of Salem believed it was the work of witchcraft. When sickness or even misfortune came, the most
In the modern day it’s hard to believe there’s even still ‘’witch hunts’’ as you can say where a group of people are stereotyped as something without them doing the actual stereotypical thing. We live in a world where blacks are getting shot for no reason when they were just walking down the street unarmed and not harming anyone. Blacks and Latinos are always looked down upon in any shape or form. They could be driving a nice car they get pulled over for suspicion of a stolen car, they can get pulled over in an old broken car and they will get pulled over for suspicion of ‘’criminal activity’’. But if it’s a white person the cops will NOT bat a single eye at them despite being in the same situations as the black. And you know what the problem
“Husbands implicated wives; nephews their aunts; daughters their mothers; siblings each other” (The New Yorker: Inside the Salem Witch Trials). The Salem Witch Trials began on June 2, 1692, with the trial of Bridget Bishop. Many more trials were to follow in the next four months. Twenty people were killed, including Bridget Bishop. The Salem Witch Trials were an inexcusable event.
The book Witches! The Absolutely True Tale Of Disaster In Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer is about the Salem Witch Trials. In January 1692, three women were accused of being witches by two girls who claimed to be “tortured” by them. More and more women and men were accused for about a year until the trials stopped. Overall, more than 200 people were accused, but why? There had to be a reason for these people to be accused. Some of the top reasons for people to be accused of witchcraft were poorness, feuds or revenge, and different opinions/beliefs.
The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem, a part of the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1692. This was a dark and trying time for United States history. During this time, colonist were greatly afraid of the devil, and his the people he sent to do his work. Salem was known for being a community that was extremely devoted to their Christian beliefs. They feared that the Devil was trying to find ways to destroy them and their community.
The harsh realities of life in the rural Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts generated from the aftermath of war with France in 1689. The people of Salem feared attacks from neighboring Native American tribes. Fear of catching the recent small pox epidemic flowed throughout the entire town. During the 14th century in Europe, people began to believe in the supernatural. Practicing the devil’s way was said to give certain humans the power to harm others in return for their loyalty. This wrongful practice began to spread throughout the world. Suspicion and resentment towards fellow neighbors and the fear of outsiders caused an outbreak known as the Salem Witch Trials.
If someone were to be accused of being a witch today, the person would be given a trial to prove that are a witch or not, and there would have to be evidence to prove that were a witch. According to Dudley, back in the 1600’s people would not be given a trial if they were accused of being a witch. The people would see if you were a witch with many different actions of seeing that the person is a witch or not. Now the Salem Witch Trials, this trials should not have existed that this paper will be stating.
In 1962 everything went wrong when two girls became very ill. The Puritans were becoming very worried they had very strong belief in god and they feared the devil. A couple of weeks later and the girls went to see a doctor to see if they could figure out why they were so ill. The doctor said that they had to be under an evil hand. So the Puritans believed that all witches could use the devils power to harm other people. Since they thought all witches had power to harm other people they went around and found people that they thought or they were doing witchcraft. They would blame other people for doing witchcraft and they wouldn't even be doing it. They had said that if you wrote in the devils book you have the power. These girls were asked by many people if they had came in contact with the devil. If you were accused of doing witchcraft you had to go to trial. If you don't confess that you have done or you do witchcraft you will be hung. At the end of May there were more than 60 people that were accused of doing witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials was the biggest American witch hunt ever. There were 19 people that were killed and hung as witches. The witch hunt started in a small farming community of Salem. At one point there was 150 people in prison for being accused. There was one man that was pressed to death with stones because he didn't confess. In New England there were 16 people hung before 1962. Still in 1963 one year later there were still many people in prison waiting for their trial. They believe that the witchcraft had came from New England. The Salem Witch Trials are a series of hearings and prosecutions of people being accused of witchcraft. Many of the people that were accused of witchcraft was in Colonial Massachuse...
The Salem Witch Trials was a time of depression and hunger. It all began in Salem Village, Massachusetts. When tension between the poor side and the rich side were flying high two girls (rich side) accused three women (poor side) for being witches. The reason why they accused them was that “In
The history of the Salem Witch Trials began in the spring of 1692 after a group of girls claimed that they were possessed by the devil and accused several women of witchcraft, which started a great hysteria throughout the village of Salem (“Salem”). Salem was a Puritan village, meaning that religion played a huge role in their society, even in their courts. When these girls, led by Abigail, said they were possessed and there were witches in their village, it caused a great panic among the people. As a result of the panic, people wanted all the “witches” to be hanged. About twenty