The Salem Witch Trials were horrendous days in which a reasonable amount of people died, and it certainly caused a severe impact in the society of Massachusetts Bay. The nonsensical Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts Bay were mostly due to the strong connections that the colonizers had with regard to the bible that leaded them to hang and jail innocent people. In fact, plenty of people felt that Satan was behind all the witchery that was going on, and some other thought that Satan was inducing evilness into people; especially in old women. Women were more likely to be considered to be witches because they were expected to be more docile and mentally weaker, which made them more susceptible to be tempted by the devil. For this
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.
In 1692 the town of Salem, Massachusetts was home to one of the most controversial upsets in judicial history. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions in which several people in colonial Massachusetts were accused of performing witchcraft. The supernatural was a commonplace observance in 17th-century North America. “:Witchcraft cases were hardly unknown in New England in the 1600s—more than a hundred were recorded before 1692—but they were mostly isolated, widely separated in time and space, scattered around the colonies”(Brandt 38). However, from 1560 to 1670, witchcraft persecution became a concentrated epidemic throughout New England. There are many theories as to the origins of these trials and superstitions, but none that provide justified reasoning as to why they should have occurred.
On October 31, thousands of people across the nation put on a black dress with a black pointed hat. Some even go as far as to paint their faces green and carry around a broomstick. Each of these people decided to be a witch for Halloween this year. However, little do these people know that the real life witches of the seventeenth century looked nothing like that. In fact, those accused of witchcraft over 300 years ago could be any one of us today. Some were young and some were old. Some were married and some were widowed. Who was a witch had barely anything to do with one’s appearance. So if it was not one’s appearance that made them a witch, why were people accused of witchcraft? Why did the Salem Witch Trials occur? These questions
“Bridget Bishop, please step forward.” "No, I am innocent to a witch.” Though everyone thought she was a witch, Bridget Bishop was not. Lots of other people went through this same persecution. Tons of innocent women and men were accused of practicing witchcraft. The cause of hysteria and witch trials in Salem 1692 was what? I am certain that it is a group of young girls. Based on the documents given in my class, it is because the girls were jealous, power seeking, and craving attention.
The Truth:
The Salem Witch Trials began in Massachusetts around 1692 and lasted till 1693. People started to get accused of practicing witchcraft which was known as “Devil’s magic” to the point where it was thought that nearly 200 colonist might be in the practice. Many religious people, most of which stood by the Christian faith, assumed that the Devil himself could give people the power to hurt others way of life in exchange for their loyalty.
Around the early months of 1692, Betty Parris, age 9, and her cousin Abigail Williams, age 11, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris began to have “fits” to the point where they would throw things around the room, make strange and unique sounds, and shape themselves into bodily positions that weren't very comfortable.
In 1692, the Salem Witch Trials first started to occur(Miller). The very first group of people were falsely accused of consorting with the devil and up to twenty were executed(Miller). There were many ways people could get accused of being a witch, but the most were not improving from a sickness, married with few or no kids, and have been accused of other crimes before(Miller). Most deaths were by hanging, burned at the stake, or hung upside down from a tree where accusers would swing them back and forth causing hallucinations(Miller). The Salem Witch Trials escalated quickly with 110,000 people tried for witchcraft and between 40,000 to 60,000 were executed(Miller).
The Salem Witch Trials in 1692 is a time of “afflicted girls” with false beliefs. During this time the puritans believed that they were under attack from the devil and so they “…began fasting in order to [their town] of the devil’s influence” (Salem Witch Trials 1692,1). During this time girls were given pressure to find woman who were bewitched and bring them to court. During these trials, men, woman and children went absolutely crazy, believing lies about upstanding citizens. These lies sent innocent woman to be hung, or even crushed by a boulder. “Nineteen victims of the witch hunt had been hanged, one crushed to death under the weight of stones and a least four died in prison awaiting trial” (Salem Witch Trials 1692,1).
The Salem Witch Trials began in the spring of 1692 in the small village of Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials began because some young girls claimed to be possessed by the devil. More than 150 people where accused to witchcraft, and twenty people died.The Salem Witch Trials were famous, many innocent people were accused of being witches, and many innocent people were killed.
Salem Witch Trials
In the spring of 1692, a group of three girls were claimed to be possessed by the devil. This caused a wave of mass hysteria to wash over the city of Salem, Massachusetts, resulting with the unjust death of over nineteen people. The Salem Witch Trials can be attributed mostly to belief in the supernatural, mass hysteria and fear of the unknown.
9-year-old Elizabeth Parris and 11-year old Abigail Williams displayed bizarre behaviour, including random outbursts of gibberish, convulsions and contortions.