The Salem Witch Trials

analytical Essay

1244 words

The Salem Witch Trials Situation and Politics At The Time The period just prior to the Salem Witch Trials as cited by Blumberg (2007) was marred by conflict and war with England’s rival France. The English rulers William and Mary started a war with France in 1689, known as King William’s war to the colonists. This war ravaged areas of New York, Nova Scotia and Quebec, propelling refugees into Essex county and Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The refugees created a strain on Salem’s resources and aggravated the rivalry between the Putnams and Porters the two clans who were competing for control of the village and its pulpit. The Putnams tied to farmers because they owned most of the farmland wanted to be separate from the town and the Porters tied to the seafarers and thriving harbor wanted to remain part of Sale Town. Additionally Reverend Samuel Parris, Salem’s first ordained minister was disliked because he was rigid and greedy, leading to controversy and belief by the Puritan villagers that the Devil was at work with all the quarreling. As cited by Sutter (2003), during the period, contracts for ministers provided them a modest salary, use of a house and free firewood; Reverend Parris received this and much more, including the title and deed to the parsonage and its surrounding land. Those residents who were angered by Reverend Parris’ benefits and who wanted to remain part of Salem Town refused to attend worship services and withheld their local taxes. This latter action was of consequence because local taxes helped pay the minister’s salary and provided his firewood. In October 1691, Parris’ opponents comprised the majority of the new Salem Village Committee, who refused to assess local taxes for Parris’... ... middle of paper ... ...dence. Without the admission of “spectral evidence”, twenty-eight of the last thirty-three witchcraft trials ended in acquittal, the three convicted witches were later pardoned and in May 1693, Governor Phips released from prison all remaining accused or convicted witches. Overall, religion had a major effect on the Salem Witch Trials, because it was an integral part of Salem and colonial society at the time and influenced not only the accusers and accused, but the leadership of English society in North America as well. Furthermore, controversial evidence based on speculative or fabricated information was admitted because it conformed to the religious beliefs of the time. Although many of the emigrants from England left because of religious persecution, in Salem they themselves engaged in religious persecution, based merely on trivial accusations and superstition.

In this essay, the author

Analyzes how reverend parris' daughter elizabeth and niece abigail williams began having fits, screaming, throwing things, uttering weird sounds, contorting in pain, and complaining of fever.
Explains that the period prior to the salem witch trials was marred by conflict and war with england’s rival france.
Explains that when other playmates, including ann putnam, mercy lewis and mary walcott began exhibiting unusual behavior, talks about "witchcraft" increased.
Describes how tituba, good, and osborne were interrogated and jailed. they were accused of witchcraft based on their testimony.

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The Salem Witch Trials
analytical essay
The events that transpired in Salem, Massachusetts occurred between the years of 1688 and 1693 constituted the most significant witchcraft outbreak in the history of the New England colonies. The entire event was quickly labeled as “colossal mistake” by the government after they had passed.(Ray, 2010) With this in mind the question remains; how did it get started and how did it get out of hand so quickly?
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how salem witchcraft outbreak was labeled a "colossal mistake" by the government after they had passed.
- Explains that salem was founded in 1626 when settlers led by roger conant settled in naumkeag after a failed attempt.
- Explains that rev. samuel parris preached for the first time in 1688 and became the officially hired as the village minister the following year.
- Narrates how samuel parris' daughter and niece were diagnosed as victims of bewitchment by william griggs, who believed in the devil and the previous misfortune.
- Explains that the residents of salem believe someone is bewitching children and possibly the town itself. this was on the tail end of the witchcraft craze that was sweeping through europe where thousands of women accused of witchcraft were put to death.
- Explains that william and mary, the rulers of england, began a war with france that was fought on the soil of the colonies. the refugees from the fighting into areas such as essex county introduced more strain in the area.
- Describes how girls diagnosed with bewitchment were encouraged or even coerced into implicating three women of afflicting them. they were brought before magistrates and interrogated for days.
- Analyzes how the community was hysterical with accusations everywhere. martha corey, a loyal church member, was accused of witchcraft. sarah good's daughter was also questioned.
- Explains that governor william phipps ordered the establishment of a special court for suffolk, essex and middlesex counties. bridget bishop was the first case and even though she claimed to be innocent, she was found guilty and hanged.
- Explains that minister cotton mather wrote a letter imploring the court not to allow spectral evidence such as dreams and visions to be allowed. governor phipps dissolved the courts, prohibited the arrest of any other accused witches, and banned the use of evidence.
- Explains that lumberg, jess, "a brief history of the salem witch trials." history, travel, arts, science, people, places | smithsonian.
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Salem Witch Trials
analytical essay
Salem Witch Trials Twenty-five people dead, an entire village on the brink of insanity, and a gathering of young girls possessed by demons defined the year 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. What began as a childish game metamorphosed itself into mass hysteria. A combination of irresponsibility and village politics led to the demise of innocence. It has been said that children will be children, as if to imply that the natural order of life begins with the immaturity and foolishness that goes along with childhood.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the salem witch trials resulted from irresponsibility and village politics that led to mass hysteria.
- Analyzes how the people of salem village won the right to establish their own church and chose the reverend samuel parris, thus widening the gap between the conflicting parties.
- Opines that the salem witch trials are an excellent example of what happens to people when hysteria controls people's lives.
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The Witch Trials of 1692
explanatory essay
The Witch Trials of 1692 During the winter of 1692, in the small village of Salem, Massachusetts, something terrible happened. Salem Massachusetts became the center of a horrible tragedy, which changed the life of many people. It was a time of fear, because of bad crops, Indian raids, and diseases. The people of Salem Village had to blame something, or someone.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the witch trials of 1692 in salem, massachusetts, which changed the life of many people. they accused people and called them witches.
- Explains that salem village was a small, farming community with 550 people. it was smaller than the town, and about eight miles away.
- Explains that samuel parris was the minister of the group that wanted to be separate from salem town. he helped divide the groups even more by his sermons.
- Explains that samuel parris and his wife had two children living with them, betty, and abigail, who were the reason that the trials started.
- Narrates how dr. griggs, salem village's doctor, was the first to say that the afflicted girls were bewitched.
- Explains that spectral evidence was used to convict someone, and that the salem witch trials were different from any other trials.
- Explains that the people who were accused most were independent women, women without a husband, herbalists, and healers. historians aren't sure, but evidence points to that conclusion.
- Explains that the first accused were the lower members of the society, including sarah osborne, sarah good, and tituba.
- Describes how joseph ballard's wife suspected witchcraft and brought the afflicted girls to andover, where more than fifty people had been accused.
- Describes the accused witches in andover, including martha carrier, anne foster, mary lacey, and 18-year-old mary.
- Describes samuel wardwell as a fortune teller accused by mary walcott for using witchcraft to tell fortunes. he confessed and was executed september 22, 1692.
- Explains that thirty-five women and thirteen men had been accused by their neighbors and were imprisoned for a year or more.
- Explains that people were accused of politics, land disputes, or revenge for a slight injury. the governor's wife was accused, so the governor put an end to the trials.
- Describes the bibliography of marion starkey and reganstieners publishing enterprizes.
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The History of the Salem Witchcraft Trials
explanatory essay
During the time of the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692, more than twenty people died an innocent death. All of those innocent people were accused of one thing, witchcraft. During 1692, in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts many terrible events happened. A group of Puritans lived in Salem during this time. They had come from England, where they were prosecuted because of their religious beliefs. They chose to come live in America and choose their own way to live. They were very strict people, who did not like to act different from others. They were also very simple people who devoted most of their lives to God. Men hunted for food and were ministers. Women worked at home doing chores like sewing, cooking, cleaning, and making clothes. The Puritans were also very superstitious. They believed that the devil would cause people to do bad things on earth by using the people who worshiped him. Witches sent out their specters and harmed others. Puritans believed by putting heavy chains on a witch, that it would hold down their specter. Puritans also believed that by hanging a witch, all the people the witch cast a spell on would be healed. Hysteria took over the town and caused them to believe that their neighbors were practicing witchcraft. If there was a wind storm and a fence was knocked down, people believed that their neighbors used witchcraft to do it. Everyone from ordinary people to the governor’s wife was accused of witchcraft. Even a pregnant woman and the most perfect puritan woman were accused. No one in the small town was safe. As one can see, the chaotic Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were caused by superstition, the strict puritan lifestyle, religious beliefs, and hysteria.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials of 1692 were caused by superstition, the strict puritan lifestyle, religious beliefs, and hysteria.
- Explains that puritan lifestyle was one reason that might have caused the witchcraft hysteria in salem.
- Explains that witchcraft began a long terrible time in the history of salem massachusetts.
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials of massachusetts could have been caused by the superstition of puritans. they believed that witches could send out their specters.
- Explains that the court of oyer and terminer was set up because massachusetts's charter had left and they were waiting for a new one.
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials were caused by superstition, the strict puritan lifestyle, religious beliefs, and hysteria.
- Explains that hysteria was a cause of the salem witchcraft trials.
- Narrates how giles corey's tongue rolled out of his mouth and he died. the afflicted girls of salem went crazy accusing people of witchcraft.
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials were a terrible time in history. in 1962, governor phips ordered that no one else could be arrested because of witchcraft.
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The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692
analytical essay
The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 The Salem witchcraft trials of 1692, which resulted in 19 executions, and 150 accusations of witchcraft, are one of the historical events almost everyone has heard of. They began when three young girls, Betty Parris, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam began to have hysterical fits, after being discovered engaging in forbidden fortune-telling (not dancing naked in the woods) to learn what sorts of men they would marry. Betty's father, the Reverend Samuel Parris, called in more senior authorities to determine if the girls' affliction was caused by witchcraft. Although Betty was sent away fairly soon, and did not participate in the trials, the other girls were joined by other young and mature women in staging public demonstrations of their affliction when in the presence of accused "witches."
In this essay, the author
- Explains that they possessed a peculiar bag or horn, which might be said to contain "medicine"
- Describes africa, salem town council, and new opportunities for betterment which are not yet available.
- Explains that there have been three basic approaches taken to the analysis of the salem witch trials.
- Opines that sexual repression in puritan new england, the low status of women, especially young women in the summary.
- Explains that everyone was expected to attend sunday meeting, and failure to do so, as we shall.
- Analyzes how to reconcile the notion of predestination with a culture which placed strong emphasis on individuality.
- Cites the pulpit for insisting that only those who had experienced conversion could be converted.
- Explains that in a world where god was seen as giving clues, at best, to his intentions, it was credible.
- Explains that there had recently been a bloodless revolution in england, and the king had been
- Explains that indians gave the judges more power than they otherwise would have had.
- Opines that boyer and nissnbaum suggest that it would have been unremarkable, at the time, for the first three.
- Opines that tituba, the indian slave, was the target of accusations (tituba confessed and survived).
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials of 1692, which resulted in 19 executions, and 150 accusations, are one of the historical events almost everyone has heard of.
- Explains that during the colonial period in africa, shortly after world war ii, there were a number of witch finding movements, which resembled the salem episode in some ways.
- Explains that people were improving their economic status as a result of these changes. in the cities of central and southern africa, many local religions and christian sects could be found.
- Concludes that the movements did not get rid of witches forever, unlike the situation salem or europe, nor did belief in witchcraft itself end with the witch crazes.
- Explains that dietary deficiencies at the end of a new england winter have also been blamed for the symptoms. sleep paralysis is compared to demons and alien beliefs.
- Opines that it is necessary to explain why the symptoms were interpreted in the precise way they were, why so many people were accused and convicted.
- Explains that new england puritans interpret spasms and hysterias in young girls as "salvation," an event which led to the great awakening.
- Explains the core belief held by new england puritans that led to interpersonal suspicion and conceptions of a secret world, hidden from living humans, was the notion of predestination.
- Explains that a "feeling" of being saved, and the ability to convince others of one's status, were important. wealth and status in the community counted as evidence of salvation.
- Opines that a sincere church member would have difficulty issuing false confession to save his or her life, since to lie was evidence that one might not, after all, be saved.
- Explains that the great awakening was one of the evidences of this new opportunity for individuals to actively seek evidence of salvation.
- Explains that mather, a massachusetts theologian, prepared advice for those who wished to be saved. he placed great emphasis on fear of god and an acute sense of sinfulness.
- Analyzes how cotton mather's guide to the prosecution of witches described some of these clues, including ones familiar to us from the film the burning times.
- Explains that afflicted girls and male witnesses said they saw "spectres" (normally invisible spirits) of the accused, either in the courtroom or at other times.
- Explains that those who confessed and were spared were able to justify confessing on the ground that their spectres might have done things of which they were not aware.
- Explains that cotton mather's father, increase, was dubious about the use of spectral evidence. the fact that it was used shows how deep was the belief among salem residents in an unseen world.
- Analyzes how arthur miller's play, the crucible, uses the salem witch trials as metaphor for the obsession with a vast, hidden communist conspiracy, threatening all.
- Opines that this excursion into theology helps explain why the girls' symptoms were interpreted as they were, and why certain kinds of evidence were used at the trial.
- Analyzes how boyer and nissenbaum suggest that salem was in flux at the time of the witch trials. parris was involved in several disputes over his salary, firewood, and ownership of his house.
- Explains that salem village had been given permission to build a meeting house because of the inconvenience of travelling several miles to meeting.
- Argues that salem town was richer and more open to the outside influences one would expect in a wealthy seaport.
- Opines that salem town offered more possibilities than the village. one of the earliest people to be accused (and ultimately hanged) was bridget bishop, who ran an unlicenced cider-shop
- Explains that most accused witches lived in the salem town side of the village, while most accusers lived further from the town.
- Explains that the anti-parris faction clustered around israel porter, a member of salem town church, and the pro- parri
- Analyzes how parris used the theological assumption of a hidden battle between good and evil to force villagers to take sides between himself and those who opposed him
- Explains that the witchcraft craze in salem began when parris's daughter betty, his relative and ward abigail williams, and his slave tituba, were found to be using magical practices to predict the fortunes, especially the marriages.
- Opines that parris's decision to treat the strange symptoms of betty and abigail was opportunistic. tituba was accused, while the others became accusers of many of his enemies.
- Narrates how the witchcraft craze spread beyond salem, so that important people in boston, the capital of massachusetts bay colony, were accused. parris was removed from his pulpit and replaced by a man who was more interested in hunting and fishing than in seeking evidences of the devil's work.
- Analyzes how arthur miller uses the salem witch trials to draw attention to a secular theology of fear (substitute "communism" for "satan"), which he believed was involved in similar marriage in the 1950s.
- Advises readers to visit miller's website before reading his comments on the play, where the liberties which miller has taken are spelled out.
- Analyzes how miller's alterations tell us something about the nature of recent "witch hunts."
- Explains that senator joseph mccarthy led the u.s. house un-american activities committee in seeking out real and imagined communists, who were widely believed to be infiltrating the us government, spying and spreading propaganda on behalf of the soviet union.
- Opines that it is unlikely in the extreme that many of them were actively working for the soviet union. people suspected of communist sympathies were summoned to testify in front of the house.
- Opines that publishers, film studios, etc. not to allow suspected "communists" to work, and that pressure was brought to bear on people with left-wing sympathies elsewhere in the "free world."
- Explains that arthur miller, already a famous playwright, was at least partly blacklisted until he proved to be "normal" american male by marrying marilyn monroe!
- Explains that the 1950s were the era of leave it to beaver, when women were encouraged to return to the kitchen after being encouraged during the war years. recently returned soldiers scrambled to acquire an education under the g.i. bill, which paid their tuition.
- Opines that miller's emphasis on sexual conformity during the mccarthy era led to exaggerating the sexual aspects of the salem story, changing the ages.
- Explains that sexual politics were bubbling closer to the surface during the mccarthy era, to boil over a decade later, in the so-called "sexual revolution."
- Analyzes how miller alters the record regarding the pressure on accused witches to confess.
- Analyzes how miller altered history and portrayed the trials as stopping when more people refused to confess when, in fact, a significant increase in confessions probably occurred.
- Analyzes how the witch hunts in europe and salem are charter myths for our time, to be told by feminists, left-wing intellectuals and lawyers for president clinton.
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The Salem Witch Trials
explanatory essay
During the seventeenth century Salem, Massachusetts is a seaport town populated mostly by Puritan colonists who came over from England in the seventeenth century. Beliefs of witchcraft came over with the settlers who, if caught practicing, was punishable by death. The Salem Witch Trials were a series of court cases in 1692 revolving around witchcraft where over hundred people were accused, nineteen were hanged, and one was pressed to death.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the salem witch trials, a series of court cases revolving around witchcraft where over hundred people were accused, 19 were hanged, and one was pressed to death.
- Explains that england had accused people of witchcraft dating back to the twelfth century, and it wasn't until the fourteenth-century that they began to arrest and try citizens.
- Explains that reverend samuel parris purchased tituba from a sugar plantation in barbados, bringing her to salem around 1688.
- Explains that abigail and betty began to have fits of kicking and screaming, sometimes including manic spasms and pain. reverend parris assumed evil was happening and called upon doctor william griggs.
- Narrates how the accusations of witchcraft led to the arrest of tituba, sarah good, and sarah osborne. over the period of these trials, more than a hundred people were arrested.
- Explains that the trials were conducted by the general court in a variety of places. the judges tried to get the suspects to confess because it was easier to convict them.
- Describes how the trials continued over the next nine months where nineteen out of all those arrested people were found guilty and executed.
- Explains that some of those involved in the trials began to feel remorseful about the roles they played that led to the executions. reverend hale, a minister, felt guilty for not doing anything to prevent them.
- Opines that they had a deep sense of the sad consequence of mistakes in matter capital; and their impossibility of recovering when completed.
- Explains that testimonials were written by those who wanted to clear their conscience. during the next fifty years, all but five of the executed were cleared of all charges.
- Opines that the salem witch trials, though they only lasted nine months, have impacted the use of the judicial system to determine religious crimes.
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Salem Witch Trials
opinion essay
Some people say that the Salem Witch Trials were less a religious persecution than economic in purpose, using religion as a guise to gain property. I believe that the Salem witch trials were less a religious persecution than economical. I believe this for several reasons; one being that the accused witches were using their witchcraft on other people in the town and it was affecting them. Many people were accused of performing witchcraft and were persecuted for doing so. But I believe that people in towns accused others of "witchcraft" whenever something went wrong, because "witchcraft" was such a common thing back than. When the witches that were accused of this so called witchcraft, usually the rest of their family, if they had one, would have to sell their house and this gave the people in the town more land and gave other people outside of the town to move into the town. Since there were two distinct parts to Salem, it is believed that the rich people of Salem accused the poorer people so they could take over their land.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the salem witch trials were less religious than economic in purpose, using religion as a guise to gain property.
- Compares salem's economy, class, and character with that of its neighbor, ipswich road.
- Explains that tituba, sarah osborne, and sarah good were prime candidates for the accusations of witchcraft.
- Argues that the persecutors of salem wanted the witches to be put in jail because they felt that they were performing witchcraft on people in the community.
- Opines that the richer people in salem tried to get the poor in jail so they could tend their land.
- Opines that the puritan lifestyle was reserved and strict. they believed that all sins should be punished and god would punish sinful behavior.
- Opines that the salem witch trials were more an economic persecution than religious; using religion as a guise to gain property.
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Salem Witch Trials
analytical essay
Salem Witch Trials The infamous Salem Witch Trials that occurred in Salem Village (present day Danvers, Massachusetts) will forever go down in the history books as one of nation’s greatest example of mass hysteria. The 17th century was a time period of drastic stress and hardship for the Massachusetts Bay colony, being so far from their English heritage. They face forming a new government that was based purely on their religion of Puritanism.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the salem witch trials will forever go down in the history books as one of nation’s greatest examples of mass hysteria.
- Analyzes how adolescent girls in salem became fascinated with the concept of fortunetelling and voodouo, popularized from films like the crucible. the accusation list continued to grow after tituba confessed.
- Explains that in the mid- 1600s, salem was divided into two communities, the town and the village, causing indifference between both communities in different aspects.
- Explains that george used the borrowed money and the money owed to him by the town for his ministry services to make payments for the funeral of his late wife.
- Argues that the salem witch trial was based on the motives of envious and tradition-stricken women.
- Opines that why the salem witch trials occurred will remain a mystery in our great nation's history. it was to demonstrate how government based on theocracy couldn't meet the needs of its entire people.
1077 words
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The Trials Of The Salem Witch Trials
analytical essay
The Salem Witch Trials took place in the summer and into the fall of the year 1692, and during this dark time of American history, over 200 people had been accused of witchcraft and put in jail. Twenty of these accused were executed; nineteen of them were found guilty and were put to death by hanging. One refused to plead guilty, so the villagers tortured him by pressing him with large stones until he died. The Salem Witch Trials was an infamous, scary time period in American history that exhibited the amount of fear people had of the devil and the supernatural; the people of this time period accused, arrested, and executed many innocent people because of this fear, and there are several theories as to why the trials happened (Brooks).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the salem witch trials was an infamous, scary time period in american history that exhibited the amount of fear people had of the devil.
- Narrates how samuel parris, a successful merchant and planter, was invited to preach in salem village in 1688. his daughter, betty, became bizarrely ill and the villagers began talking about witchcraft.
- Explains that suspicions of witchcraft came to salem when betty parris' behavior was reflective of the woman in the book. samuel called a doctor to analyze the girls for illnesses, but the doctor couldn't find anything wrong with them. tituba, sara good, and sarah osborn were arrested.
- Explains that tituba, sarah good, and sara osborn were the first three to be accused of witchcraft. the putnams brought their complaint against the three women to county magistrates jonathan corwin and john hathorne.
- Explains that the examinations were arranged in the meeting house (linder) (brooks). the afflicted young girls gave descriptions of being attacked and tormented by the apparitions of tituba, good, and osborn.
- Analyzes how the magistrates, in the common practice of the time, asked the same questions of each suspect over and over. the style and form indicates that they thought the women guilty.
- Analyzes how tituba, after refuting being guilty of witchcraft, broke and claimed she was approached by a man from boston, who she stated to be satan, and was asked to do his work.
- Explains that the governor decided that there needed to be a method of convicting witches, so he made the court to evaluate the cases of witchcraft.
- Explains that the judges allowed the so-called "touch-test" and examinations of the accused's bodies for evidence of "witches' marks"
- Explains that even gossip, anecdotes, unfounded claims, and inferences were acceptable to be presented in court and used as evidence against the accused.
- Explains that bridget bishop was brought to trial for witchcraft by several people in her community, including the afflicted girls, who said that bishop physically harmed them and tried convincing them to sign an agreement with the devil.
1060 words
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The Salem Witchcraft Hysteria
analytical essay
After 19 executions, it is believed the people of Salem began to feel the trials had gotten out of control. Reverend Parris, Cotton Mather, and some jurors conceded to errors in judgment (Linder, 2009). Spectral evidence was no longer permissible, which meant that no one else could be accused of witchcraft based on hear say or opinion. Even with the admission of poor judgment and errors, none of the accuser or elders ever stepped up and accepted responsibility for the hysteria or apologized. The Salem witch hunts which were generated by fear, social, political, religious, and economic issues probably set the stage for a the American judicial system and eventually the separation of church and state.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the combination of social, political, religious, and economic issues in 1629 combined with fear were the main contributing factors to the salem witch trials.
- Opines that the salem witch hunts set the stage for the american judicial system and eventually the separation of church and state.
- Analyzes how the puritans interpreted tragic events as punishment from god. they became obsessed with the devil, believing only bad things happened to those who were not following a christian or pure lifestyle.
- Explains that reverend samuel parris was a religious minster in the salem community, and his ministry was founded on the strict traditional puritans beliefs.
- Analyzes how the puritan leaders used the witch hysteria to control the community and obtain revenge on past rivals.
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