What Caused the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In Salem, Massachusetts there were Witch Trials held during the summer months of 1692. Throughout the seventeenth century in New England, witchcraft was said to be a crime punishable by death. Puritans came to New England in the early 1600’s to practice their Christianity in the purest form possible. They believed every word in the bible and that the words of God were to be followed down to the last sentence there was. Havoc started occurring around the town and 19 women along with men were hanged for witchcraft. Over 100 individuals were suspected to be witches in result to weird behavior before a disaster happens. The puritans set fairly high standards on themselves and others. True puritans could show their commitment by going to church and working their hardest. They also believed God was not the only powerful force among their community. There was a dark and evil force lurking around, known as the Devil. He could enter the body of a potential recruit if they happen to be weak-willed or practicing witchcraft. The recruits were called witches if female and wizards if they were a …show more content…
This was merely a rivalry between the divided sectors of the Salem Village. The village was divided by the Porter and Putnam families along with their supporters. The Porters lived in the eastern sections of the village that contained rich soils. The rich soils helped the Porters benefit and have long periods of prosperity in Salem. In comparison, the Putnams got the short end of the stick with less fruitful soil in the western half of the Salem Village. With that being said, the Porters had major political influence on the town unlike the Putnams. This would cause resentment between the divided sectors with the want for revenge on one another. The Porters would have the upperhand with the political influence they obtained when rivalries played