The puritans came to New England so they could experience and practice christianity in a new form.[background] Puritans believed every word in the bible was the word of god. That said, the bible mentions Devils and witches. They believed a witch was a person who was controlled by the devil. For example, The devil can make a young girl cry in church. One way the court accepted evidence the suspect in question was a witch was when a woman confused the words when saying the lord's prayer.[background] Because of these actions more people were being accused of being a witch.
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.
In The Crucible, religion and government were so closely interwoven that it blurred the lines between right and wrong which affected the way people reacted and behaved. At the peak of the witch trials, the Puritan society was considered a theocracy. They build the belief of the religion around the idea
Also reported upon in the same story from NBC News is that these people accused of being terrorists have been attacked, their religious buildings burned, and had their faith publicly insulted since this began. With this information presented it is now proper to examine the similarities between our two chosen
Puritans believed in evil supernatural beings like witches, werewolves, and the devil. Their beliefs of these supernatural presences led them to accuse women of witchcraft because they believed the devil possessed women and made them his servants. Ultimately, they put these women on trial, thus starting the Salem Witch Trials. Additionally, their spiritual intolerance manifested in their disdain for Native
The Puritans believed that the Devil would “enter a normal person’s body and turn that person into a witch... [who] could make all kinds of trouble” (Background Essay). Reverend Samuel Parris’s daughter and niece accused Tituba, a slave, of witchcraft. She confessed to practicing witchcraft, so her life was saved. However, this caused the undeniable fear of witches in the town.
Puritans had many superstitions. they believed that Satan was a real and prevalent thing in the world especially in Europe and then in the american colonies. The puritans believed that the forest was the Devil’s domain They believed in demons and spirits. they also thought that the Devil’s children could speak to the dead. Their belief in these things are what caused the mass hysteria of the salem witch trials.
To sum it up, beliefs in witchcraft existence, political factionalism, fraudulent accusations and ergot poisoning have caused the Salem Witch Trials which all greatly impacted the lives of the people accused, the accusers and the people around them. The trials can be examined in the ways which the madness occurred. People who experience fear will do their best to feel safe and secure regardless of causing harm to other individuals. The witch trials were an example of hysteria and how people can react when placed in desperate situations. After the unfortunate tragedy of Salem Witch Trials, it was showed the time it takes for a community to fully heal from such loss.
If they admitted to the accusation, they were spared from execution but ostracized from society. Over the years, several theories have appeared to explain the cause of the hysteria, including religious extremism, socio-economic tensions, and personal vendettas. The first significant factor that contributed to the Salem Witch Trials was the religious beliefs of the Puritan settlers. In the background essay, it discusses the Puritans, who were Protestant Christians unhappy with their church in England, had migrated to New England in the 1600s. They looked to practice Christianity in ways they felt were pure.
In Salem, Massachusetts, Puritans were strong believers in the Bible. The Bible states, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” The Puritans beliefs led to them accusing 20 innocent people of being a witch, this resulted in their deaths in 1692. Even though the Puritans couldn’t see it at the time, their accusations were really based off jealousy, lies, and Salem being divided into two parts. One cause of the Salem witch trial hysteria was jealousy.
The Salem Witchcraft Trials had many effects on the town of Salem, Massachusetts. A lot of the effects were negative, destroying the community, government, even individuals. The Witch Trials affected the community of Salem in multiple ways. The witch trials created many tensions between several families in the town. The most acknowledgeable dispute from the play was between the Putnam’s and the Nurse’s.
Salem Witch Trials Mass hysteria, social ignorance, and religious intolerance all describe the chaos that took place in Massachusetts during the year 1692. The Salem Witch Trials were not a positive section of American history but have been used as a learning tool for the United States. According to Plouffe, Jr., the trials were the largest of suspected criminals in the colonial period of American history. More than one hundred and fifty people were arrested on charges of witchcraft, and nineteen of these individuals were convicted and hanged (Plouffe, Jr. n. pag.). Many factors play into the long process of the Salem Witch Trials and have had a lasting impact on American history.
The Salem Witch Trials accusing others of a feared crime showed definite evidence that mass hysteria was to blame. Salem was a religious settlement, following Puritan beliefs (Miller, 6). A large fear for everyone in Salem was the touch of the Devil (Miller, Arthur). According to Puritan beliefs, if a man or woman was touched by the Devil he would convince them to do witchcraft. Once word was mentioned the Devil had possibly touched Salem, the fear spread.
In the late 1600s, the conflict arose when many possessed girls accused innocent people of witchcraft in Salem. The people of Salem were Puritans (Wilson). The Puritan religion believed that Satan was trying to turn the people away by bringing witches to Salem. In February of 1692, a doctor in Salem concluded the girls were “bewitched” (Sutter). They believed the girls were bewitched because they were not acting normal.
Many practicing Christians, at the time, believed that the Devil could persuade people to use the powers that he gave them to harm others. The Salem Witch Trials occurred because of resource struggles, many women were accused and tortured, and in the end the Governor realized that it was a big mistake. (“Salem Witch Trials”, 1). In 1689, English rulers William and Mary started a war with France in the American colonies which sent many refugees into the Essex County and Salem Village.
