How Did The Salem Witch Trials Affect The Economy

Economy and social division played a huge role in what the Salem Witch Trials turned to be. Many historians theorize that the real reason behind the trials was due to the different opinions between the townsmen, who were considered to be rich, and the farmers, who had to rely on the more powerful people of Salem. During these times Salem was divided into two very different parts: Salem Town and Salem Village or Salem Farms. Both were located in what is considered “Salem, Massachusetts” but were highly divided due to the different economy, class, and characters. The residents in Salem Town were considered the prosperous and the land was fertile. Also in this part of town all the trade with London occurred, basically meaning that the rich and powerful lived in this area. On the other hand, the non wealthy residents of Salem found their homes in Salem Village. They were mostly farmers who had to cultivate crops in a not very fertile and healthy land. Salem Town ruled over Salem Village,

The people that lived near Ipswich Road were close to all the commerce in Salem Town and their jobs were more fulfilling than farmers. They were usually merchants, blacksmiths, carpenters and were able to support their families and all the economic changes that Salem went through at this time. The people that lived farther apart from Salem Town tended to be closer to religion and held the beliefs that the prosperity of the Salem Town was against their Puritan religion. This actually lead many historians to believe that economical jealousy and envy could have been one of the reasons behind the Salem Witch Trials. Most of the accusers were from this part of town, indeed one of the most influential families during the accusations were the Putnams and they highly disagreed and protested about the economic changes in Salem and the different classes that