More handpicked essays just for you.
Influence of Religion on Colonial America
English colonization religion
Influence of Religion on Colonial America
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Influence of Religion on Colonial America
Richard Godbeer presented an excellent picture on how puritan life was structured, how it functioned, and how they perceived the super natural in this novel. Reading "Escaping Salem," I was thrown several different scenarios displaying how witchcraft was addressed in early puritan society and how they reacted towards it. The supposedly bewitching of Katherine Branch showed the reader how the people of Stamford and the court system handled the act of witchcraft. After reading this novel, I can say that I do believe the accused in the Stamford witchcraft trial received a fair trial.
The Massachusetts Bay Experiment, despite the fact that it began as a business endeavor, was profoundly grounded on religion. As John Winthrop said, they needed to make a "city upon a slope," or an ideal world where God's support could be accomplished. To accomplish this Promised Land, the Puritans dedicated themselves to their congregation life and God. Investing hours at administration consistently, the Puritans were a nearly weave group because of the force of the congregation. At whatever point any issue in the group developed, the Puritans looked to the congregation to give them an answer.
Salem, Massachusetts in 1691 and 1692 was a frightening place to be. In January 1692, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris became ill, beginning a several-months-long crusade against the devil and those who were believed to be in league with him, including Parris’ Indian slave, Tituba. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was a prime example of what happens when religious fanaticism and rampant hysteria combine with superstition about the religious rituals of those outside of Christianity. The effects of the Salem Witch Trials continue to interest people over three-hundred years later, spawning several movies and television shows incorporating some aspect of the trials within them.
Christianity was prevalent in the 1600’s and anyone who didn’t believe in God was seen as a heretic and put to death. In 1641 the colonists established a legal code and put witchcraft as the second one, the punishment for that, of course, was death. The Devil was highly feared and if there was word of somebody using witchcraft a big deal would be made out of it; as The Salem Witch Trials have proven. Women were mainly the ones who happened to be executed because they were also feared, if any woman had the same amount of power as a man she must’ve made a deal with the Devil. All of this made 1692 was an intricate time for the people of Salem Village, Massachusetts.
The Salem witch trials in Massachusetts during the late 17th centuries was a time period where people were hunted since they were accused of witchcraft. A famous novel named The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller, who was able to portray the events of the Salem witch trials. He explained to us that characters have hidden motives for their actions rather than anything having to do with witchcraft. The men and women in Salem like Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris, and John Proctor are stained puritans that are consumed by their greed, envy, and lust. Abigail Williams, a seventeen year old, is accused of witchcraft after being caught in the forest naked while attempting some devilish ritual.
Most have heard of the witch trials that took place in Salem Village in the late 1600s. These trials are commonly referred to as Puritans’ last attempt in trying to preserve their religion. The famous Salem witch trials captured the attention of thousands over the years. Fascinated by these trials, movie producers started making films about the subject. One film, named “Salem Witch Trials,” stands out compared to others.
How could the same individuals with the freeing thoughts of the Enlightenment, also be the same individuals that participated with the haze of the salem witch trials? They are practically complete opposites. The enlightenment was a European time of intellectual movement occurring during (late 17th and 18th centuries) emphasising reason and individualism rather than tradition. However the salem witch trials were forcing people to conform to what others considered to be the right frame of mind. Which, to the church was that any supernatural powers was point blank evil and of the devil and anything beyond understanding and reason is wrong.
From Witches in 1692 to Muslims in 2001 Arthur Miller in the play, The Crucible, suggests that people of society create a separation between outsiders and insiders of the town, often prosecuting the outsiders to make them stand out even more from society. Miller supports his claim by describing how the young girls of Salem blame the outsiders of their town of witchcraft. The author’s purpose is to point out that falsely accusing outsiders will not have a good outcome in order to convince the reader to not divide society. The author writes in a satiric tone to mock the McCarthyism era of communism.
In The Crucible by Arthur Miller the power of the towns government and religion are the backbone of the story, the case of the witch trials. In the book, the main character, Abigail, blames numerous girls for witchcraft. "I'll lead them in a psalm,but let you say nothing of witchcraft yet" (Miller 17). She does this out of spite due to jealousy over goody Proctor. In their town, based on their religion, witchcraft is serious, devilish ritual and forbidden.
Another work of literature, showing the incredible amount of influence of religion in American society, specifically puritanism, would be Arthur Miller’s book The Crucible. The Crucible is situated in the Massachusetts town of Salem in 1692. Known for its extreme puritanism and witch trials, the town of Salem in the story revolves around Reverend Parris, the minister of the town church. When Parris’ daughter Betty and niece Abigail are found dancing in the forest with Tituba, the slave of Parris, rumors that the girls were practicing witchcraft spreads through the town, although the girls state that they were just dancing. T new, horrifying event shakes up the town and a new character enters the story, Reverend Hale, the investigator of witchcraft.
However, it was only someone trying to get people killed. In the end, however, a young woman was hiding under the disguise of witchcraft having an affair with someone’s husband. Reverend changed his views on witchcraft after a village had been ruined because of his doing.
Clive Staples Lewis always had a vast imagination. “He was a boy of great imagination… writing stories and illustrating” (“Faith”). The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, may seem like a children’s book, but it is much deeper than that. The novel is about four children who journey into a land called Narnia. The kids have to fight evil to help turn Narnia back into a happy place.
In the year 1692 the famous Salem Witch Trials occurred in Salem Massachusetts. The scare of witchcraft began with a small group of teenage girls, who claimed to be possessed by the devil. They believed that people’s spirits would come after them, and try to torment them. Hysteria broke out among the people in the town of Salem, and other parts of Massachusetts. Trials occurred for months to scrutinize who was considered a “witch” in the eyes of the judges and teenage girls.
As this trial wraps up and have left our once wonderful town of Salem Massachusetts to ruins. Throughout the course of the witch trials many lives have been lost in the ability to trust one another as protestant brothers and sisters has been lost. To this day very question the strength of this town and if it will have the ability to bounce back from such a horrific event such as this. While some may say forget the past for this in the past the story, this horrific story will be told for centuries to come. In addition to this to explain the catastrophic damage even the judges involved in this case have apologized for the many lives lost in the families change forever, never to be the same.
The Witch, directed by Robert Eggers, became a hot topic when it was released in 2016. The slow-burning, horror film leaves the viewer with much to think about at the end of the movie. While there are many horror and gothic devices used in the movie, the setting is one of the more prominent ones and adds to the gothic theme of the movie. The setting shows an example of the sublime and provides a chilling backdrop for some of the more tense moments in the film.
