The infamous Salem witch trials of colonial Massachusetts took place between of 1692 and 1693. They involved the execution of fourteen women and five men within the the brief time period (Salem Witch Museum). New England at the time had been established by a homogenous Puritan population which emigrated from England (Taylor 165, 169). Abiding by a strict set of beliefs, the Puritans did not accept people of other backgrounds, therefore it might follow that the Salem Witch Trials of New England were a result of the strict Puritan society, which was actually primarily untrue. The Salem Witch Trials were not enacted as a result of Puritanism, but rather as a result of circumstance.
Religion was a very strong influence in the lives of Puritans as they followed a very strict moral code and based their entire lives on their faith. Most Puritans were taught from the Bible that "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Doc. A), which explains why the witch scare was taken so seriously and why the accused were punished so harshly. They believed and feared that "evil spirits were all around" (Doc. C) as noted in Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions by Cotton Mather, who at that time was a reputable expert in the "invisible world. " It seems strange to 21st-century dwellers that people believed that witches could be identified by marks of the devil, as portrayed in an 1853 painting by T.H. Matteson (Doc. D).
As the new court was created for the Salem witch trials five judges were assigned, coincidentally three of the appointed judges were really good friends with Cotton Mather. Furthermore, Mather’s own accounts became textual fact for determining the evidence of witches. This heavily influenced the court’s scheme. Mather implied to the judges to seek statements from those that were accused, accepting claims such as a witness testimony that the accused persons spirit or spectral shape appeared to him/her witness in a dream at the time the accused persons physical body was at another location as a legal
They then went on to teach Cotton Mathers the puritans beliefs. The puritan were a sect of Christian beliefs that originated in new England around the late sixteenth century. Some of their beliefs included that they thought that everyone was already condemned to Hell or are already promised going into Heaven. This belief is what separated them from the other sect of Christianity. Cotton Mather was born Feb. 12, 1663, Boston, Massachusetts.
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693 was the most infamous witchcraft episode in United State's history. Set in a Puritan New England settlement, Salem Village, the original ten females became afflicted between January 1682 and the madness would not end until May 1693. Salem Village, Massachusetts became engulfed in hysteria. During this time, one hundred and fifty-six people accused of witchcraft, fifty-four people confessed, fourteen women and five men were hanged, a man was pressed to death, three women and a man died in jail. In addition, an infant, who was born in the jail died as welled.
The Salem Witch Trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts during the end of 1692 and the beginning of 1693. These were a series of trials and prosecutions of suspected witches. Most of these supposed witches were women, but some were men. These people were accused of making local children ill by practicing witchcraft. The children claimed to be possessed by the devil and gave names of witches who did this to them.
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692. BY 1690 some two dozen people had been accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts in early 1692 several girls in Salem village a farm community near bustling salem town were stricken with seizures. villagers attributed the seizures to witchcraft as the girls named those supposedly responsible for their afflictions, other residents of salem village and near by towns testified that they too were victims of witchcraft. They claimed other villagers used demonic powers to kill their children, sicken their farm animals, and otherwise harm their families and property.
The Salem witch trials, which took place in the late 17th century in colonial Massachusetts, remain one of the most notorious incidents of mass hysteria and injustice in American history. Lasting from 1692 to 1693, this dark chapter claimed the lives of innocent individuals accused of practicing witchcraft. This essay delves into the origins of the witchcraft trials, the role of Massachusetts society in fueling the trials, and the eventual end and repercussions of this tragic event. Origin and First Accused: The witchcraft trials in Salem were sparked by a complex mix of religious, social, and economic factors.
He also defends himself as he was faced with scrutiny and backlash for his role in the Witch Trials. Many believed that he is one of the few people that “fueled the fire”. Mather’s talks about how the Devil became irate after the Puritans descended onto his territory. Satan then sent forth legions to extinguish the threat of God’s wrath. The witches of Salem, in this case, were the Devil’s instruments of destruction.
The Salem Witch Trials took place it Salem, Massachusetts. Puritanism filled the town. Puritans focused heavily on God and do not believe in a separation of church and state. 19 men and women and two dogs were convicted and executed for witchcraft. Arthur Miller’s play’s main character, John Proctor, fought against false accusations against him and his wife.
Salem, Massachusetts, USA and occurred between February 1692 and May 1693. Over 150 people were arrested and imprisoned and even more accused; but not pursued by the authorities. 29 were convicted of witchcraft but only 19 were hanged. The best known trials were in the Court of Oyer and Terminer.
Curiously, the rhetoric and actions of the Puritan people seems to be parallel with whichever presence they believed to be active in their community. During the creation of the community, the rhetoric of John Wintrhop’s speech practically made the whole being-peaceful a religious act, as long as they were at peace the presence of God was assured (Winthrop, 1630). This is reiterated nearly 27 years later when, Richard Mather, father of Increase Mather, father of Cotton Mather, told his community in 1657, “Husbands and wives must live in peace so that their prayers for their children would not be hindered,” once again reaffirming this peace as an religious requirement for the spiritual standing of their family and community (Hall, 1988, p.22). However, when it came to the Salem Witch Trials, the people of Salem believed that their community was being invaded by Satan and their rhetoric and actions mimicked the cold, tormenting, and cruel characteristics of his presence (Boyer, 1972). Cotton Mather told John Cotton that God has been working miracles by executing five witches, the tone almost turns sadistic and overzealous because he is happy that these people were killed, but it did not at the time due to Puritans belief that the execution of convicted witches was the correct way to purify their community and rid themselves of the afflictions that their community supposedly suffered under
He was a stern Puritan who denounced the worldly ways and economic prosperity of Salem Town as the influence of the Devil. His rhetoric further separated the two factions within Salem Village. It is likely that the jealousies and hostilities between these two factions played a major role in the witch trials. The "accusers," many of which were the "afflicted girls" to whom the book refers to throughout the work, did not even know the persons they were accusing. In fact, the afflicted girls could not even pick out the accused without whispers from other people telling them who was who.
More than 80% of Americans have Puritan ancestors who emigrated to Colonial America on the Mayflower, and other ships, in the 1630’s (“Puritanism”). Puritanism had an early start due to strong main beliefs that, when challenged, caused major conflict like the Salem Witch Trials. Puritanism had an extremely rocky beginning, starting with a separation from the Roman Catholic Church. Starting in 1606, a group of villagers in Scrooby, England left the church of England and formed a congregation called the Separatist Church, and the members were called The puritans (“Pilgrims”).
With a variety of works from poems to books, both Cotton Mather, and Michael Wigglesworth, show similar protestant philosophies as Anne Bradstreet or Jonathan Edwards do. In the Late 1600’s Cotton Mather, a protestant minister, had much to do with the Salem Witch Trials in Salem MA. He viewed the world as a burden to god, and that humans are completely at the will to his fury, much like Jonathan Edwards did. In one of his sermons, Mather says, "They which lie, must go to their father, the devil, into everlasting burning; they which never pray, God will pour out his wrath upon them; and when they bed and pray in hell fire, God will not forgive them, but there [they] must lie forever.
