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The story of the puritans
The story of the puritans
The story of the puritans
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The story of the puritans
The story of the puritans
The story of the puritans
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
This Puritan society was deeply rooted in male dominance and as a result many innocent women lost their lives to these false charges of witchcraft simply because they were undesired or challengingly wealthy. This highly religious community used religion to justify a horrific display of
However, according to many historians today, the Puritan’s religious beliefs of their God and their fear of the Devil, is the more strong and acceptable theory. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 occurred in the Puritan community of
Religion was a very strong influence in the lives of Puritans as they followed a very strict moral code and based their entire lives on their faith. Most Puritans were taught from the Bible that "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Doc. A), which explains why the witch scare was taken so seriously and why the accused were punished so harshly. They believed and feared that "evil spirits were all around" (Doc. C) as noted in Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions by Cotton Mather, who at that time was a reputable expert in the "invisible world. " It seems strange to 21st-century dwellers that people believed that witches could be identified by marks of the devil, as portrayed in an 1853 painting by T.H. Matteson (Doc. D).
Throughout the course of America’s history there are many events of injustice: the mistreatment of Native Americans, using African Americans as personal property, and accusing men and women in Salem, Massachusetts of witchcraft. The Salem witch trials occurred many years ago in 1692. In the Puritan community, religion was a huge part of life. It controlled most of people’s everyday activities and was a way to find hope in their difficult, unglamourous lives. According to History.com, “Puritans were portrayed by their enemies as hair splitters who slavishly followed their bibles as guides to daily life” (Delbanco).
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.
The lying caused the witch trial hysteria. In 1692,In salem massachusetts. The puritans believed of what they read in the bible and becasue of the fales accusations twenty people died. One of them was a man and he was pressed to death. The three causes of the salem witch trails were the dividing towns,lying,and age.
The Puritans ran from persecution but then used the witch hunt to persecute innocent people based on the word of the women and men who had ulterior motives. The women used this opportunity to punish people they long had problems or resentment for. These women- Abigail, Tituba, and Mary- were aware of the power they felt when they were being heard by people in their community who were deemed Godly, upstanding citizens. So, they loved the sense of power they felt. Although the townspeople of Salem used religion as the reason for the witch hunt, the witch hunt created chaos because people started using it a revenge mechanism.
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.
Religiousness brought out fearfulness and strictness among others, these all stirred up mischief among the Puritans. People were always worried about someone spying on them or others being a witch. The fearfulness is what caused the strictness. The town feared witches and so they brought out strict laws against any actions. The town people had to obey the rules or else they could be discriminated against.
With the Puritans having strict religious beliefs about the devil and God, it gave them strong feelings about the ways in which women impacted their community. Along with their religious beliefs, their society had certain beliefs about women and the way they should act which led them to suspect anything out of the “norm” as a sign of the devil. While some of this could be on women and the way we speak, the Puritans already had such strong feelings toward the vulnerable mind of women that it wouldn’t matter. The women were represented by weakness in nearly every aspect a person can be judged on and this thought of them as the weaker vessel is what ultimately led to them being accused and persecuted more than men during the Salem Witch
The Puritans were Christian Protestants, so they relied heavily on the Bible and interpreted it literally. However, this means their fundamental perception of women comes from the book of Genesis, in which Eve betrays God first. Richard Goodbeer, author and professor at the University of Kansas, says it best: “Eve’s legacy as the female prototype was double-edged: on the one hand, she served as a successful helpmeet in the Garden of Eden; on the other, she was Satan’s first human ally.” When interpreted literally – as Puritans often did – a conclusion pulled from Eve’s actions could be that women are the most likely to succumb to the Devil, as it is in their nature. When put into the time of the Salem Witch Trials, this framing resulted in the idea that women should be the first to blame for witchcraft.
Mary Warren’s public display of extreme fear of the near future went on to cause a large portion of the population to arrive at a complete outbreak of hysteria. Often times, rumors or threats put an irrational fear into society. In this case, the threat of possible witchcraft caused the mass population to cry out in a confused state of hysteria. Since the idea of witchcraft is a foreign and likewise unwelcome idea in a specifically Puritan based society, the social norm was
These views, in and of themselves, speak to the level of intolerance permeating America and to the level of fear associated with witchcraft. The Religious intolerance and fear experienced in English North America was not a sole construct of Puritanism in New England. These ideas permeated Southwards throughout the length of the thirteen English colonies. Oftentimes, the fear of witchcraft led to colonial governments establishing capital laws against any person entering into communion with Satan.
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.
Accusing their neighbors of witchcraft because they were greedy for land or jealous of them. In the “Age of Faith” notes it lists that some visible signs of Puritan Decay was the “Decay in business morality - lying…” (6.1). The Puritan belief really screwed up society, even though it was all about being pure and staying true to God’s word; it only lead to lying cheating and the death of the