The Salem Witch Trials Essay - 902 Words

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 â€Å"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? Salem is a town in Massachusetts that has unfortunately earned its reputation from these trials. It was founded in 1626 when settlers led by Roger Conant settled in Naumkeag after a failed attempt in 1623 to create a fishing settlement at Cape Ann. (Salem, a brief history, n.d.) Its name was Christianized to Salem in 1629. The land†¦show more content†¦The residents of the village of Salem have what they believe is definitive and irrefutable proof that someone is bewitching these children and perhaps even the town itself. For them the question is not if it is happening but who is doing it. 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 because they were believed to be agents of the Devil causing harm to others through supernatural means. The craze started in the 1300’s and ended in the late 1600’s.(Blumberg, 2007) Even though overseas this was winding down, lo cal events caused it to flourish. In 1689, William and Mary, the rulers of England, began a war with France that was fought on the soil of the colonies. The battles were being fought In New York, Nova Scotia and Quebec. The refugees from the fighting into areas such as Essex county, including the village of Salem which already had trouble obtaining resources. This introduced more strain in the area, along with newcomers who could be under greater suspicion of these bewitchments. The girls who were diagnosed with bewitchment were encouraged or even coerced into implicating three women of afflicting them. Their names were Tituba, a Caribean slave, Sarah Good, a homeless beggar, and Sarah Osborne, an elderly impoverished woman. These three women on March 1,Show MoreRelatedSalem Witch Trials And The Witch Trial1494 Words   |  6 PagesFirst of all, I wanted to talk about what Salem Witch Trial is and who are the persons involve in this event. Salem Witch Trials, according to Encyclopedia Britannica is â€Å"A series of investigations and persecutions that caused 19 convicted â€Å"witches† to be hanged and many other many suspects to be imprisoned in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.† There are many people involve in Salem Witch Trials and I’ll be going to describe their role in this event, followed by the different case studiesRead MoreSalem Witch Trials And The Witch Trial Essay2225 Words   |  9 Pagesaccused of witchcra ft in Salem Village, Massachusetts, many more died in jail, and around 200 people total were accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Records from the event indicate that the Salem Witch Trials started when a group of young girls began acting strange, claiming they had been possessed by the Devil and bewitched by local villagers. The Salem Witch Trials is a much debated event; historians argue over the motivation and causes behind the trials and executions, not overRead MoreThe Trial Of The Salem Witch Trials905 Words   |  4 PagesI. Introduction In January 1692, when a group of juvenile girls began to display bizarre behavior, the tight-knit Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts couldn’t explain the unusual afflictions and came to a conclusion. Witches had invaded Salem. This was the beginning of a period of mass hysteria known as The Salem Witch Trials. Hundreds of people were falsely accused of witchcraft and many paid the ultimate price of death. Nineteen people were hung, one was pressed to death, and as many asRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials691 Words   |  3 Pageswere the Salem Witch Trials? The Trials happened in 1692 in Puritan Massachusetts, in a town called Salem. Nineteen men and women were hanged on grounds of practicing dark magic and making a pact with Satan (in other words, for being witches). Hundreds of people were imprisoned; several died there. Additionally, one man (of over seventy years!) was crushed to death with heavy stones and the lives of many were irrevocably changed. (Salem Witch Museum) IQ #2- How and why did the Salem WitchRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials1202 Words   |  5 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials were a prime part of American history during the early 17th century. During this time, religion was the prime focus and way of life within colonies. This was especially true for the Puritan way of life. Puritans first came to America in hopes of practicing Christianity their own way, to the purest form. The Puritans were fundamentalists who believed every word transcribed in the Bible by God was to be followed exactly for what it was. The idea of the devil controlling a womanRead MoreThe Trials Of The Salem Witch Trials1866 Words   |  8 Pagessurrounding the cause of the Salem Witch Trials 1692 makes the topic captivating as many historian perspectives offer explanations for the causation of the trials, yet the personal context of each historian has determined its historic reliability. This questions the level of objectivity each historian has in their responses to the Trials. The aims and purposes of a historian, as well as their differing methodologies may alter the approach the have towards the investigation of the Trials. Many interpretationsRead MoreThe Trials Of Salem Witch Trials Essay1267 Words   |  6 PagesThe notorious witch trials in Salem began in Spring of 1692. This started after a young group of girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, professed they were possessed by the devil. These young girls even went as far as accusing some local women of practicing witchcraft. As a frenzy spreaded throughout colonial Massachusetts, a specific court was summoned to hear cases. Bridget Bishop was the first convicted witch and she was hung in that June following her trial. Eighteen other people followed BishopRead MoreThe Trials Of The Salem Witch Trials1635 Words   |  7 Pagesovercome was the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials occurred in 1692 and 1693 in colonial Massachusetts. â€Å"More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft – the Devil’s magic – and 20 were executed† as detailed by Jess Blumberg on the web article A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials (Blumberg 2007). The trials had a major impact on the American society and the effects could be seen in colonial America as well as today. Why did the injustice of the Salam Witch Trials occur and whyRead MoreThe Trials Of Salem Witch Trials1069 Words   |  5 PagesEven though the Salem witch trials were made to seem formal, they were actually subjective and not based on fact. Since there were multiple people being accused of witchcraft, the trials were short and quick to sentence. The witch trials lasted less than a year. The first arrests were made on March 1, 1692, and the final hanging day was September 22, 1692. The Court of Oyer and Terminer was dissolved in October of 1692. The Salem Witch Trials occurred in the spring of 1692, when a groupRead MoreSalem Witch Trials And Trials1320 Words   |  6 PagesSalem Witch Trials was a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in the Salem Village of the 17th century New England. The trials caused executions of many people but mostly women. Salem Witch Trials exposed the different roles men and women were supposed to play during the seventeenth century. Women were supposed to take on â€Å"wifely duties† such as, be mothers and housewives. Women were thought to follow the men. The trials also revealed that there were strict religious