Causes of the Salem Witch Trials Essay - 2035 Words

From the beginning of time there has been conflict between the views of different people and their different groups. Conflict has brought prejudice and fear into communities around the world. As conflict is an inescapable part of any society, it can be expected to extend to the greatest impact possible. The Salem Witch Trials are one such conflict. This conflict caused many to be accused, arrested, and killed. Because of social, economic, religious, and physical problems within the community, Salem Village was present with prejudice and panic causing the Salem Witch Trials. Witchcraft has been present in many other religions, not only the Puritan religion. Witchcraft was also found in Catholic and Protestant parts of Europe. The Salem†¦show more content†¦The accusations were over by October 1692, and by then less attention was on the accusations (â€Å"Witch Madness† 2). But by the time the accusations and hangings were over one-hundred forty-four people were accused and nineteen were hung (Hinds 70). Some were only accused because they were associated with or related to a supposed witch, like Elizabeth Proctor whose grandmother was a supposed witch (Hinds 40). Or Rebecca Nurse whose mother was accused of witchcraft (Kent 58). They believed in the idea that a supernatural cause, whatever the source, was used to cause them harm (Godbeer 30). People were even rewarded for their fear and panic over the truth and the braveness of the society (Shapiro 2). Five people died in jail during the trials, including a baby (Hinds 64). One man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to admit to being a wizard, after changing his view on his wife’s guilt as a witch (Hinds 43; â€Å"Witch Madness† 2). Certain social reasons might have also been the start of the Salem Witch Trials and the accusations. The young girls that started the accusations might have been the beginning to the trials. The girls might have started accusing people because during the winter the Salem Village was completely cut off from Salem Town, the nearest town available (Langley 1). The girls had few things to occupy their time because the Puritans hated free time (Kent 8). The Puritans believed that studying the bible should be done inShow MoreRelatedThe Salem Trials : The Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials989 Words   |  4 Pages What type of people were involved in the trials? The type of people involved in the trials was the surroundings of the Salem village, puritan religion, but mostly women. Their belief was sacred to both, god and devil. They believed that women were too weak to fight the devil and lose so they become the devils servant, which is a witch. Puritans also believed in predestination which is having god already knowing it they go to heaven or hell. No matter what life they had, whether good or bad, theyRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials1748 Words   |  7 PagesThe Salem witch trials were a series of different court trials. They occurred after a group of young girls were claimed to be possessed by the devil. These individuals experienced hallucinations. Some of the suspects explained the attacks as if bugs were crawling under their skin. When the outbreak began to spread, the government proceeded to accuse multiple people in the colony of witchcraft. This is how the Salem witch trials came to be. The trials took place in coloni al Massachusetts. AccordingRead MoreThe Cause Of The Salem Witch Trials Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesThe Causes of the Salem Witch Trials In 1692 in the quaint Puritan village of Salem Massachusetts, twenty lives were claimed to execution on charges of witchcraft, nineteen by hanging and one man was pressed to death. The causes of these deaths and the Salem Witch Trails can be easier understood when the culture of Puritan Colonial life is examined. The Salem community was rooted in the Puritan religion. Puritans believed like all Christians, that humanity was guilty of the original sin committedRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials1382 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials are a big part of history that is still hard to unravel today. These trials occurred in 1692, when a few teenage girls admitted to being possessed with the devil and blamed other local residents with committing Witchcraft (â€Å"Salem Witch Trials†). The accusations all started with a young girl named Abigail Williams. She believed that if she blamed other people, she would not be punished for the things she did. As a result, m any other girls followed her lead and named innocentRead MoreCauses Of The Salem Witch Trials994 Words   |  4 Pagesdevelop the greatest consequence possible. The Salem Witch Trials are an example of such conflict, as they resulted in many people being falsely accused for crimes, arrested, and killed. But what provoked this mass hysteria? Scholars have attempted to answer this question, but the most common idea is that it was due to a variety of economic, social, and physiological problems within the Salem village. In order to understand the cause of the Salem Witch Trials, some background must be given about the eventRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials1173 Words   |  5 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials in New England comprised the largest outbreak of witchcraft panic in American history. Historians and scientists have contributed the accusations of witchcraft in the early 1690’s to everything, from disease, religious and political agendas, to harsh weather. It is believed that a better understanding of the cause of the atrocities in Salem, and those like it, may prevent such events from reoccurring. Despite many years of study, however, what caused such panic in New EnglandRead MoreCauses Of The Salem Witch Trials841 Words   |  4 Pages In 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, hysteria broke out throughout the town in an event that later became known as the Salem Witch Trials. They were the largest account of witch hangings ever in America, as 20 women and men were put to death for being accused of practicing witchcraft. Historians have been debating about how these trials were caused. The frenzy in Salem happened because at first, young girls were afraid of punishment and wanted to avoid it so they blamed older women and accused themRead 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 MoreReasons : The Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials741 Words   |  3 Pagesarrested in Salem, Massachusetts. All but one of these people were believed to be witches (Background Essay). Prior to the hearing in Salem witch trials were carried out in several different towns. â€Å"In 17th century New England witchcraft was a serious crime (Background Essay).† Two girls aged nine and 11, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, identified a slave name Tituba and two other local women as witches. This led to the accused women being carted off to jail starting the Salem Witch Trials. WithoutRead MoreThe Causes Of Fanaticism In The Salem Witch Trials750 Words   |  3 Pagesmost important reason was probably the fanaticism that caused everyone to blame Satan for the witchcraft, which stopped people from looking for other reasons which may have caused the witchcraft. This fanaticism stopped people from looking at other causes of the symptoms, and they didn’t bother to use a scientific or logical perspective because they were obsessed with finding witches. Additionally, because people immediately turned towards Satan for the answer to their problems, they may have used