How Did Religion Cause The Hysteria Behind The Salem Witch Trials

During the late 1600’s, Salem Village, Massachusetts was swept up in a single-minded fervor as its inhabitants tried to rid the settlement of witches. Several months of wild accusations that pitted neighbor against neighbor resulted in 19 deaths and nearly 200 convictions, collectively called the Salem Witch Trials (Text 2). While there were many factors that led to the hysteria behind the Salem Witch Trials, the authoritative role of religion and the fear of punishment were most likely the greatest catalysts. Religion had constantly provided stability in the uncertainty of the New World, and therefore questioning religious agendas would undermine any sense of security that the settlers had. Furthermore, confessing and accusing others seemed to be the only way colonists could escape punishment, so they facilitated the trials out of fear. Together, these things made the wave of hysteria grow exponentially in Salem Village.

The Puritans residing there had travelled to North America to escape religious persecution (Text 1). However they faced a new set of problems upon reaching the New World. Wars with the Native Americans, an unruly climate, political unrest, and fear of the “devil’s den”, or wilderness left religion as the only steadfast thread for the colonists to cling to (Text 1). Therefore, questioning the Puritan church, who was the leader of the witch hunt and its trials, was out of the question. Colonists needed a reliable presence as a guide, which they could depend on equally during the cold winter and supernatural phenomena. According to Text 1, “The men who catalogued those dangers-who could determine a line of Revelation in a hailstorm- protected against them, spiritually and politically.” Moreover, the “witches”, were perceived as a formidable threat to the church, the colonists’ protector, which caused a surge of panic. With the church’s authority shaken, the colonists erupted into