How Did The Cause Of The Salem Witch Trials

How would it feel to be accused of and punished for something you didn’t do? In Massachusetts in the 17th century, many people were accused of witchcraft and suffered punishments for crimes they didn’t commit. These people were often unfairly tested and then killed if they performed the test the way a “witch” would. This essay will describe how the Salem Witch Trials had a strong impact on society’s view of witches, showing what can happen when people make opinionated decisions and spread rumors. Salem was a village that was secluded from surrounding towns, and its residents were very religious. Salem Town and Village combined had a population of around 2,000, and Salem village housed only about 500-600 of those residents. (Latner)

Smallpox was a very contagious and deadly disease that has no known cure. Other factors include: family rivalries, attack from Native Americans, rivalry between Salem Village and Salem Town, and the aftermath of the French/British war. (Brooks; History.com Staff) One of the first major events of the trials is when multiple girls suffered from “fits” that included hiding under furniture and contorting in pain. The doctor suggested that the girls were bewitched. Some modern theories of what the girls were dealing with are epilepsy, boredom, child abuse, mental illness, and/or disease from a fungus that was on their bread. These girls accused three women who were social outcasts. (Brooks) The women were Sarah Good (a beggar), Tituba (a slave) and Sarah Osborne (an elderly woman). (History.com Staff) The Salem Witch Trials were an example of scapegoating. People, believed to be “witches”, were being blamed due to the towns immense fear of the Devil and the “trigger” of Tituba’s confession. However, this was not the first time someone was accused of being a witch. Margaret Jones was accused in 1648, but nobody had confessed to being a witch before, which made Tituba’s confession all the more important to the town.

As this becomes a greater issue, local jails hold more than 200 accused witches. These witches were chained in a dungeon underneath of the jail. (Brooks) There were a few opposers of the trials early on, one of them being a local farmer. John Proctor scoffed at the idea of witchcraft. Because of this, Proctor and his whole family were accused of witchcraft. This included Proctor, his wife, his children, and his sister-in-law. In August, Proctor was hanged, but his wife managed to escape because she was pregnant.