Salem Witch Trials Legal Proceedings - 1338 Words

The Salem Witch Trials, also know as the Salem Witchcraft Trials were legal proceedings which took place of course in the Salem Village of Massachusetts. These trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in the village, claimed to be possessed by the devil accusing several local women of practicing the craft. Victims were prosecuted and executed for reputedly practicing witchcraft, when little to no evidence of the act itself existed. This historical period resulted in twenty people, mostly women, being hung for black magic conspiracies. Neighbors accused neighbors; even church members accused other church members of witchcraft. Others were accused, but fled the area before they could be arrested. During this time†¦show more content†¦In addition, the bible was there sole authority, for they believed it applied to every aspect of daily life. As for their other beliefs, Puritans thought Satan was responsible for everything bad happening in day-to-day living. The Puritans believed that the members of society, weakest at upholding Puritan values and morals, specifically women and children, would be selected to carry out his work. This means women accused as witches were those who strayed from the Puritan lifestyle and were considered to be social outcasts. For the Puritans, religious and political life were completely intertwined. Each Puritan town had town meetings to determine how the town would be run, and only male church members were allowed to vote on these issues. This is probably the reason why the women were seen as the weakest society member’s maintaining Puritan values. The Devils have sometimes represented the Shapes of persons not only innocent, but also very virtuous (Salem Witch Trials). â€Å"†¦And I cannot but tell you that my faith is strong concerning them, that they are deluded, imposed upon, and under the influence of some evil spirit, and therefore unfit to be evidences, either against themselves or anyone else† (Salem Witchcraft Trials). Although the Puritans beliefs were very important to them, it did seem as though they were accusing specific people. This mainly included young women, usually belonging to wealthy families.Show MoreRelatedThe Crucible : Fictional Account Of The Salem Witch Trials1303 Words   |  6 PagesThe 1996 film The Crucible is a fictional account of the Salem witch trials. While there are many historical inaccuracies in the movie, it does capture some of the themes in scholarship on the period. The film presents the town of Salem in a similar way to how it is depicted in the textbook. The film gets the basic outline of the Salem witch trials right. A group of girls started a panic by accusing an enslaved woman and two other women of bewitching them. During the event more than 200 people wereRead MoreThe Mystery Of The Salem Witchcraft Trials1048 Words   |  5 PagesMystery of the Salem Witchcraft Trials Jennifer Hollenbeck AP United States History Mrs. Price November 12, 2014 The Salem witchcraft trials were a particularly dark and mysterious time in the history of America. These trials that were arranged upon the belief of witchcraft could have multiple explanations. In my opinion these trials began as a combination between religious factors, boredom, social issues and all coming together in a mess of suspicion and deceit. Although these trials did startRead MoreThe Invisible World By The Salem Witch Trials1559 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the Salem Witch Trials, Bridget Bishop was not granted a fair trial due to legal issues with the court proceedings. 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Laurie Jacques Essex County Newark Tech Abstract This paper discusses the human traits that Puritans portray in the Salem witch trials which are manipulation, desires, and motives. It analyzes six resources on research conducted on motives, manipulation and on The Crucible. The articles all have the same views on motivationsRead MoreSalem Witch Trial vs Mccarthyism1208 Words   |  5 PagesA review of A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials, by Laurie Winn Carlson, Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 2000; 224 pp. $14.95 Paperback. ISBN: 1-566633095 A FEVER IN SALEM POSITS A biological cause for the early modem witchcraft epidemic, which resulted in the hanging of 19 people in Salem, MA, in 1692. Witchcraft persecution, Laurie Carlson writes, arose because of the strange behavior of the supposedly bewitched accusers. She concludes that the cause was a disease unrecognizable