Salem Witch Trials of 1692 Essay - 2160 Words

The Salem witch trials of the 17th century, was an event that took place in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts which spread mass hysteria that centralized around the idea of witchcraft and reflected religious persecution. This tale of events provoked the fears of Puritans whom at the time hated and believed witchcraft to be evil, the practice of committing ill acts on the innocent, the aid of demonic spirits and conveying with Satan. Therefore, the idea of Devil worshipping and witchcraft became a central scapegoat as a reason to exterminate those who were outcasts and did not practice in the Puritan faith accordingly to the rest of the town. For some, it is unclear if whether the Salem witch trials sparked by two separate affairs.†¦show more content†¦This would explain the fear and panic that spread throughout the town in which rumors do not include whole facts but inferences and speculations of others. Moreover, there is also the small tale of Abigail Williams and J ohn Proctor. It is believed that eleven year old, Abigail Williams, had a crush on John Proctor which is why Abigail attempted to perform rituals in the forest with her friends to seduce John Proctor with a love spell. However, because of Abigail’s persistence to uphold the act of being possessed, it is because of Abigail that John Proctor and his daughter, Elizabeth Proctor, were charged with witchcraft and executed. Some may see this as the perfect example of the kind of cynical controversy amongst the town. Therefore, this allowed the fear and friction in the town to build up and allow others to blame and conspire against one another out of spite of hatred. Witchcraft is one of the most crucial aspects of the Salem witch trials because fear of it caused homicide and destruction of families. Puritans frowned upon any type of sorcery and seen witches as representatives of the devil. Additionally, that witchcraft was a form of the Devil’s effort to overthrow God’s Kingdom. Puritans also believed that Native Americans had closer connection to the spirit world and therefore were representatives for the DevilShow MoreRelatedThe Salem Witch Trials Of 16921281 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials were a sequence of hearings, prosecutions, and hangings of people who were thought to be involved in witchcraft in Massachusetts. These trials occurred between February 1692 and May 1693(The Salem Witch Trials, 1692. ). The Trials resulted in the execution of twenty people, in fact, most of them were women. The first of the trials began in several towns in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, such as Salem Village (currently know n as Danvers), Salem Town, Ipswich, and Andover(SalemRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Of 16921270 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials The year 1692 is remembered as one of the most scandalous times in American History. Throughout the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, over a hundred people were accused of practicing witchcraft (the majority of them being women). 14 women were hung, and 5 men were accused leading to a total of 19 people dying due to these trials. One man was even pressed to death by substantial weights for declining to enter a plea (Linder 1). No less than eight individuals passed on in jail, includingRead MoreSalem Witch Trials Of 16921271 Words   |  6 PagesSalem Witch Trials of 1692 Salem was a very disperse community in the Massachusetts Bay colony with a growing Puritan community in the northern America. Towns in the colony were scattered by a half days travel or more. In view of this, transportation and communication was a very slow and the settlers were threatened by the attack of bears and other wild animals. Puritans were spiritual people and believed that God is the ruler of everything they possessed. The puritans believed that they were theRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Of 1692 Essay2205 Words   |  9 Pages The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. There were many possible causes of the Salem Witch Trials. A few major causes that led to the Salem Witch Trials were religion, reputations, and lack of laws. Life before the infamous Salem Witchcraft Trials was extremely mundane and normal. Salem villagers led a simple life in the customs of the Puritans. The Salem village and society was based and founded on the Puritan religion. The people had a very set lifestyle withRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692941 Words   |  4 PagesA. Plan of the investigation The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark and very crucial time in American history. The late sixteen hundreds consisted of relying on young girls for the truth; but to what extent did the puritan’s religion and culture have in the proceedings of the Salem Witch Trials? A focus on the religion that the puritans believed in and their culture will be discussed. Also, how their faith turned them against those who were accused of witchcraft. It is also neededRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trial Hysteria Of 1692879 Words   |  4 PagesThe Salem Witch Trial hysteria of 1692 caused 20 people to be hung or pressed to death and 4 perished in jail. In addition, 200 people in Salem were accused of being witches. On June 10 of 1692, Bridget Bishop was charged with practicing witchcraft and she was also accused of bewitching her husband to death. The result of her not confessing was that she was hung to her death. All of this frenzy started in the house of Samuel Parris. His daught ers were consumed by the bizarre tales told by their IndianRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692700 Words   |  3 PagesSalem Witch Trials DBQ   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How would you feel if your life was ruined just because you were considered unfit for society? This is exactly what was going on during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Prior to the trials, there were witch hunts that caused global unease mainly to Protestant societies. King Philip’s War also contributed to this unease by pushing people from the east coast and into Puritan towns. These towns had misogynistic male leadership, depriving many people of humanity becauseRead MoreEssay on Salem Witch Trials Of 16921061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In colonial Massachusetts between February of 1692 and May of 1963 over one hundred and fifty people were arrested and imprisoned for the capital felony of witchcraft. Trials were held in Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town of Essex County of Massachusetts, but accusations of witchcraft occurred in surrounding counties as well. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem Village. Hysteria had swept throughRead MoreWitch Hunts : The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692938 Words   |  4 PagesWitch Hunts Essay â€Å"Its funny how everyone hates witch hunts†¦ until they see a witch† - Jon Stewart Even though The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was one of the most well-known witchcraft trials over the world, the idea of witchcraft stretches over a long period of time and spreads throughout the world. One of the earliest known witch hunts according to (witchcraftandwitches.com) were in the mid 15th century, where Pope Innocent VII claimed that Satanists in Germany were meeting with demonsRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials And The Witch Hunts Of 1692801 Words   |  4 Pagesduring the witch hunts of 1692. The primary source that is being analyzed isn’t about him but is from many stories that he collected and put them together in a manuscript. This manuscript that contains true accounts about the trial and it included the attempted escape of Mrs. Cary of Charlestown Massachusetts told from her husband Nathaniel Cary’s viewpoint. I believe that Nathaniel Cary wanted this account to be written in order to highlight and expose how the puritans handled the witch trials and spe cifically